Several years ago a friend asked my son, Zac, to draw a riverboat in preparation for an event he was hosting. He wanted to display an original and felt the theme would well suit his gallery. Zac was initially trained by his uncle, Thomas Kinkade. He delights in these sorts of requests and artistic challenges, so he captured in sketch, The River Queen. With every detail he put into his original, one could readily imagine the by-gone era of steam boats paddling up and down the Mississippi River. Romance, intrigue, and a sense of adventure were all apparent to any willing to step aboard. Honeymooners, perhaps, walked the upper balconies enjoying the breeze and the verdant countryside as they waved to those along the shore. Gamblers, guns and cards up their sleeves, preyed on the ill-prepared in the common areas secreted below deck. And, the vessel’s captain blew its mighty whistle telling folks for miles of the paddler’s progress up and around the bend. Stories of the era, the river and these magnificent boats were probably best captured in the wonderful tales of Mark Twain but they are also happily re-visited by Zac and all of us who worked to complete this painting for the Thomas Kinkade Studios. Come travel on The River Queen and see what lies ahead for you! Your story begins as the wheel churns and the boat rolls on through the day and into the distance. New vistas await and exciting ports-of-call beckon but on the river it is the travel itself that most fulfills the sojourner heart. All aboard! God bless and thank you for sharing the light.
- Patrick Kinkade
