Some of Thomas Kinkade’s earliest and most popular artworks are based on real locations in Placerville, California. Our gallery is located in the heart of Placerville on Main Street with the famous bell tower out its front door. We moved a few years back and can be found next door to the old hardware store.
Born in Sacramento, California Thomas Kinkade’s family moved to Placerville when he was 5 years old, a small town in the foothills of Northern California. From the age of 11, all Thom read were art books borrowed from the Placerville town library where his older sister Katey worked. By age 13, he was painting at a professional level in oil.
Much to his high school fine art teacher’s delight, he sold his first painting for $7.50! Thom met his wife Nanette in Placerville when he was 13 years old. They married in Placerville (Blossom Hill Church, sold out in Limited Edition) in May of 1982 and had 4 daughters – Merritt (June 1988), Chandler (March 1991), Winsor (April 1995) and Everett (June 1997). Thom was commissioned in 1983 to do a painting of the town to hang in the new library facility. Today, this original titled Placerville, 1916, oil 40×60 is hung in the El Dorado County Library.
We are honored to be the Signature Gallery located in right here in Placerville, Thomas Kinkade’s hometown. We highlight and represent a variety of pieces of the local art he painted featuring the beautiful scenery in the area, including some rare and sold out pieces. If you are trying to complete your collection a specific painting is sold out we can search to see if we can find one for you on the secondary market. Come visit us in the Placerville gallery and the surrounding local areas to experience the real-life inspirations behind his art.