As he matured into adulthood, Thomas Kinkade began to explore the world around him with enthusiasm and fervor. He spent one summer on a sketching tour with a college friend, producing a best-selling instructional book, The Artist's Guide to Sketching. The popularity of the book landed the two fledgling artists a job at Ralph Bakshi Studios, creating background art for the animated feature film Fire and Ice. Soon, Thomas Kinkade started exploring light and imaginative worlds with abandon. It was during this period that he acquired his moniker as the The Painter of Light. After completing his work on the Bakshi film, Kinkade began his career as a painter, selling his originals in galleries throughout California. In 1982, he married his childhood sweetheart, Nanette, and two years later they began to publish his paintings together. Devoted to his wife and children, Thomas Kinkade strives to lead a balanced life committed to family values. Thomas creatively fills his paintings with "love notes" by hiding the letter "N" in all his paintings as tribute to his wife Nanette. His four daughters also find their own messages of love from their father as their names and images often appear in many of his paintings. Thomas Kinkade is currently involved in several collaborations that allow him to spread his message of inspiration through art.