An art lover since birth, I was ever-so-saddened by the death of one of my favorite painters, Thomas Kinkade, last month. His Christina themes and brilliant lighting and color adorn many of the walls in my home!
The Christina artist died in his California home on April 6th after suffering an overdose from accidentally consuming an excessive amount of Valium and alcohol. This according to the christianpost.com. This is very similar to the recent death of pop sensation Whitney Houston.
Kinkade, who called himself the "Painter of Light," was only 54 years old when he passed away.
It turns out the painter was combining alcohol with Diazepam and died from "acute ethanol and Diazepam intoxication," meaning an overdose of alcohol and Valium. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Diazepam (among a class of antidepressants known as benzodiazepine), goes by the brand name Valium. The drug is commonly prescribed to help "relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures and to control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal."
It is well-known that the artist suffered from alcoholism for years and had recently suffered a relapse after being sober for quite some time.
Not surprisingly, the value of his work has skyrocketed since his death. Despite his great talent and fame, the artist died deeply in debt, owing creditors up to $9 million.
Kinkade's paintings, full of Christian imagery, have become so prominent that it is estimated that about one in every 20 U.S. homes holds one of his works.
Kinkade had a God-given talent that he used to make many people’s lives brighter. I wish he had taken a 24 hour alcohol class, and perhaps even a drug class, so that he could continue to provide light for all of us.