TALLADEGA, Alabama -- Pat Kinkade knows we'd rather be talking to his brother. But right now, artist Thomas Kinkade is in England, painting what is destined to be another piece of art that will eventually be found in living rooms around the world.
So it falls to Pat -- chairman of the Criminal Justice Department at Texas Christian University -- to attend today's unveiling in Talladega of "This is Talladega," a NASCAR-themed work created by his brother.
Pat Kinkade doesn't have a title in the Thomas Kinkade organization, but he's pleased to step in when needed.
"Ultimately, I'm just his brother," he said. "I'm the Billy Carter of the art world."
The Talladega print, which depicts Dale Earnhardt Sr. speeding around the track, is Thomas Kinkade's second NASCAR work. His first debuted three years ago at Daytona.
"Thom's a big fan and approached the people at NASCAR," Pat Kinkade said. "He came up with the idea of Daytona, and Talladega was a natural, too. Dale Earnhardt was one of Thom's favorite drivers."
"This is Talladega" will be available at Talladega this weekend and at Thomas Kinkade galleries around the country. Prices range from $20 for unframed posters to various types of limited editions that could cost as much as $40,000, Pat Kinkade said. The most common limited edition will cost about $1,000, he said.
Blake Davidson, NASCAR's vice president of licensing and consumer products, said the new piece will please race fans.
"Kinkade has an innate ability of capturing the true emotion of our sport, and he has clearly done so again with his latest work honoring one of NASCAR's most thrilling venues," he said.
In addition to painting, Thomas Kinkade spends his time and money on charitable endeavors, a desire to give that comes through in his art, Pat Kinkade said.
"Thom's art speaks to the heart," he said. "It's comfort art. It provides a sense of family, of God, of country of peace. Ultimately what it does is speak to the heart of the average collector. It turns someone's house into a home."
It has also turned Thomas Kinkade, known as the "Painter of Light," into a millionaire, and made his brother a semi-celebrity in the process.
"I'm sort of the face of the company, but of course, I'm much prettier," Pat Kinkade said with a laugh. "I like to say I'm the brother of light."
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