"As a mature artist, I seldom paint portraits, preferring to consider human personality through its cultural expressions - home, family, village scenes, and cityscapes.
But character studies like Old Watchmaker confirm that this was not always the case. Early in my career, I was fascinated by intimate descriptions of the human spirit - much in the manner of my artistic heros Titian and Rembrandt.
My Old Watchmaker painted in oil when I was in my early twenties and just learning my craft, is a warm portrayal of a human type that was dear to my painter's heart, but remote from my world - the master European craftsman. The watchmaker's patient skill is inscribed in his careworn, wrinkled face, in the intense concentration of his gaze, in his wonderful, supple-strong hands. This is a man whose diligence and steadfast character has allowed him to endure the many obstacles he has faced in life.
In this tribute to the watchmaker, I think that I anticipate the depth of my developing commitment to my own craft. Like the Old Watchmaker I somehow knew that God lives in the details, and that as scripture affirms, it is good to work well with one's hands."
- Thomas Kinkade
