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Thomas Kinkade And Disney Unveil Second Masterwork In the Disney Dreams Collection - Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star

MORGAN HILL, CA: (February 19, 2009) --

 

Thomas Kinkade Company and Disney Consumer Products are delighted to announce the release of the second Studio Masterwork in the highly successful Disney Dreams Collection.  Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star by Thomas Kinkade, the world renowned artist known as the Painter of Light™, will be available in late February, just in time for the release of Walt Disney's Pinocchio: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition on DVD in early March.

Pinocchio, Walt Disney's second animated feature, is a classic story of magic, adventure and loyalty and introduced universally loved music like the Academy Award® winning original song "When You Wish upon a Star" along with signature on-screen characters like Jiminy Cricket. Disney fans and Kinkade collectors are invited to join Thomas Kinkade for a live worldwide broadcast and unveiling of the piece on Saturday, February 21, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific on Thomas Kinkade TV at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/from-the-easel.

"My hope is that Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star will make dreams come true for all," says Kinkade.  "It is one of my most meticulously detailed and time-consuming works, but it was a labor of love.  Finding all the hidden elements is my challenge to collectors - and I know they will have as much fun finding them as I did hiding them."

Inspired by the timeless magic of classic Disney stories and their captivating characters, Thom envisioned the Disney Dreams Collection to bring together his romantic style of painting with the magic of Disney.  Thom's first painting in the collection, Snow White Discovers The Cottage, received a great response and was sold out at the publisher in less than six months.  Mr. Kinkade calls these paintings "narrative panoramas" because each painting tells the entire story of the film in one image. Each painting recreates the story of the film and takes inspiration from art, sketches and other historic documents from the Disney Archives.

 

For Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star, the artist depicts the title character standing on a hillside overlooking the setting of his adventures.  In the foreground we see the wicked Honest John and in the mid-distance, Geppetto's workshop where Pinocchio was created. Stromboli's puppet stage appears with the maestro himself holding court, and the seaport village is seen in the distance where Pinocchio first learned of Pleasure Island. To the right, Pleasure Island is aglow with the festivities of another day's merriment and Monstro the Whale prepares to engulf Geppetto's sailing vessel. Butterflies and sparkles lend magical accents as the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Cricket look on. 

The release of Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star also marks the launch of the Disney Dreams Continuity Program.  Collectors who sign up now with this release, will be assured of the same size, edition and number for each image in the collection.

Without doubt, Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star is one of Kinkade's most detailed works.  Even as they are transported back 70 years to the creation of this animated classic, collectors will enjoy finding the many elements hidden within the painting.  These include:

• A full portrait of Walt Disney (microscopic as the head even in the 24 X 36 is no more than 1/8" tall)
• Mickey Mouse balloon
• A book (an actual copy of Pinocchio featured in the movie itself)
• A rooster
• Several mice
• A portrait of Thomas Kinkade (this is perhaps the most difficult item to find of all - almost impossible to find, but the artist promises to eventually reveal its placement.)
• Five hearts for the five girls in Thom's life (Nanette and his four daughters)
• A deer overlooking the scene (could it be Bambi - perhaps a foreshadowing of another painting in the Disney series?)

• Hidden N's for Kinkade's wife Nanette (25)
• Hidden Mickey's (countless-keep looking you'll find more)

                  

Celebrating his 25^th anniversary as a published artist in 2009, Thomas Kinkade is regarded as today's most widely collected living artist.  He is known around the world for his tranquil, light-infused paintings that affirm the basic values of family, faith, and the beauty of nature. Mr. Kinkade has received numerous accolades for his works on and off the canvas, including multiple National Association of Limited Edition Dealers (NALED) awards for Artist of the Year, Graphic Artist of the Year, and nine awards for Lithograph of the Year. He has commemorated a number of important milestones in American heritage, including the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, the 85^th Farewell Season of Yankee Stadium, Graceland's 50^th Anniversary, and others. He is also involved in a number of nonprofit organizations focusing on children, humanitarian relief, and the arts.

Pinocchio Wishes Upon A Star will be available in February 2009 at Thomas Kinkade Galleries and via www.thomaskinkade.com.

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