Thomas Kinkade painting Gaston town

McAdenville is already internationally famous as Christmastown USA, where tourists flock to see nearly a million holiday lights.

But this holiday season could draw in new tourists from all over the globe wanting to see the latest masterpiece by 53-year-old artist Thomas Kinkade.

“Christmastown USA” is the name of the work being created by the famed “Painter of Light” and will feature McAdenville, complete with a covering of snow and Christmas lights adorning the town’s trees.

Jay McCosh, one of the owners of the Thomas Kinkade Gallery on Main Street, McAdenville, says that he’s wanted Kinkade to paint the Gaston town for three years now and the time has finally arrived.

“It’s really special. He was really excited and his brother is the one that really kind of tweaked him into doing it,” McCosh said. “Rumors have been flying since two years ago. Since then, it’s just been a hint. Now that it’s been confirmed, I couldn’t officially announce it until I got the first sketch.”

The black-and-white Kinkade-drawn sketch arrived in McCosh’s hands Tuesday and since then he’s been telling everyone about the painting that’s coming to fruition.

The sketch, which McCosh says could be changed by the time it’s painted, features the town’s famed fountain and Christmas trees surrounding it.

There’s a little church nearby and McCosh says that some aspects of the town could be moved around in the painting, making it not appear totally as it would in reality.

Patrick Kinkade, Thomas’ brother, has been to McAdenville and taken pictures back to the artist. McCosh says that he’s taken hundreds of pictures of the town and those are now in the hands of Thomas Kinkade.

“I sent him probably over 100 pictures… close-ups of things,” McCosh said. “This painting is going to have snow on the ground and all the trees will be lit.”

Reproductions of the painting will be sold on canvas exclusively in McCosh’s McAdenville gallery and he says that people wanting it are “going to have to come to me to get it.”

In the future, McCosh hopes to have note cards, Christmas cards, paper prints and nightlights for sale featuring the finished painting.

But for Christmas 2011, 18x27-inch framed canvases will be sold from between $955 to $1,210, he says. The other merchandise will have to wait until next year to be sold because of timing issues.

Unveiling

The painting will be unveiled at McAdenville’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 1, McCosh says.

Thomas Kinkade could be there to show off the work of art personally. Patrick Kinkade may be there if his famous brother can’t work it into his schedule.

“We’re trying to get Thom here and I’ve got a lot of prep to do if he is coming,” McCosh said. “If Thom doesn’t come, his brother will definitely be there. His brother and I are good buddies.”

Kinkade has only painted North Carolina twice in his illustrious career, according to McCosh.

He once painted the Biltmore Estate in Asheville and the Cape Hatteras lighthouse.

Kinkade’s past paintings are famous for depicting peaceful, thought-provoking environments often surrounding a cottage or village. Many of these are set in wintry weather environments.

“I think this painting is going to celebrate Christmas,” McCosh said. “What we’re hoping is that it again puts McAdenville in the national spotlight to celebrate how wonderful it is that we find Christmastown USA. It’s going to be a nice little acknowledgment.”

McCosh says that a nativity scene and church could be featured in the painting, in addition to Santa Claus, a little drummer boy and a man roasting chestnuts.

Painting it himself

Although Patrick Kinkade and McCosh have helped Thomas prepare to create the painting by supplying ideas and photographs, McCosh says that the “Painter of Light” will create the artwork.

“He paints everything himself. At first when they told me he’s got one guy that helps him prepare some work, I actually thought that this was going to be the other guy that prepared the sketch,” McCosh said. “This sketch was actually done my Thom. For me, I was extremely impressed.”

Kinkade’s status as a globally-appealing artist may leave some wondering why he chose to capture a Gaston County town. His uses of light, subtle paint strokes and colors have molded him into an artist whose work transcends generations.

But for McCosh, there’s no mystery why he’d want to paint McAdenville.

“You’ve got a mill town there aren’t many towns in the country. Mill people still live in town and work in town,” he said. “McAdenville is not like it used to be even 20 years ago in that respect. A lot of people that live in the mill houses still work in the mill. That structure still exists but not as much as it used to.”

McCosh says that Kinkade’s paintings, often depicting scenes evocative of yesteryear, conger up memories and people like that.

“I know he’s one of the most collected living artists in the world,” McCosh said. “His Christmas pieces are by far some of the most popular. They really sell out when they come…things from a simpler, better time in peoples’ minds where you can have a mental escape.”