~~~~Until recently, the Robert Girrard era of Kinkade's work has not been widely recognized because it was created under a brush name to secure artistic anonymity giving Kinkade absolute artistic freedom.
~~~~"At that time, influenced by common wisdom among artists, I felt I couldn't take a creative shift using my own name. It would confuse, and possibly alienate, collectors of my studio work." Kinkade says.
~~~~As Kinkade was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists early in his career, he felt a French-sounding name would be helpful if he were to paint impressionistic works under a pseudonym. With the name Robert Girrard, Thomas Kinkade was being another identity.
~~~~One of the best kept secrets of the art world for almost twenty years is that Thomas Kinkade, often referred to as the Painter of Light, painted a beautiful body of work over a six year period, from 1984 to 1990, under a brush name. The brush name Thomas Kinkade used was "Robert Girrard". It is believed that Kinkade's "Girrard" body of work numbers no more than 70 paintings and two pencil drawings.
~~~~Thomas Kinkade's "Robert Girrard" paintings came from his heart and what he learned in creating them forever changed his artwork. The "Girrard" works had an almost immediate influence on Kinkade's landscape work, as he began to find ways to paint more color into them. Though the last "Girrard" canvas was completed in early 1990, the legacy of "Girrard" is reflected in many of Thomas Kinkade's post "Girrard" period works.
~~~~Thomas Kinkade outed himself as "Robert Girrard" only some 3 years ago.
