Cannery Row Sunset by Thomas Kinkade ~ Published in December 2007 - Monterey's famed Cannery Row is undergoing a renaissance. No longer the bustling sardine fishing center immortalized by John Steinbeck; it entices visitors today with its many fine shops and boutiques, including a Thomas Kinkade Gallery.

As I continue my odyssey as an artist, I find myself drawn to the historic seaside villages of California. One of the reasons, I believe, is that the coastal air, saturated with mist, lays down a mirror-like film of moisture on streets and walkways. Cannery Row Sunset created to celebrate Cannery Row's 50th Anniversary makes full use of the reflective play of light and color, not only on the busy streets but upon the luminous surface of Monterey Bay.

As I worked, urged on by crowds of enthusiastic collectors, a friend drove up with his historic '53 Chevy Bel Air, which takes us back to the glory days of Cannery Row. Many of the colorful storefronts also date back to the era immortalized in Steinbeck's novels.

A historic Cannery Row walkway bridge crosses the thoroughfare and in the distance we see hints of the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. Sunset enriches the vista with touches of pink and gold; soon it will be time for a relaxing meal of seafood fresh from the bay. - Thomas Kinkade

Key Points

1. Cannery Row is the waterfront street in Monterey, California. The street is a tourist attraction with many restaurants and hotels, and a few historical attractions. It is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in central California. The city is the site of a number of now—defunct sardine canning factories. The street name, “Cannery Row,” formerly a nickname for Ocean View Avenue, is now official.

2. Monterey is known for its historically famed fishery and its abundant sea habitat. The large diversity of sea life draws thousands of scuba divers each year.The city is considered one of the best scuba diving regions in California. It is also the location of one of the largest aquariums in North America—Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is located at the north end of Cannery Row and hosts several important marine science laboratories. Today the area around Cannery Row is a marine sanctuary and is home to a large resurgent population of California sea lions.

3. Thom has placed a total of three N's in Cannery Row Sunset as a tribute to his wife Nanette.

4. Monterey, California, is the home of the Thomas Kinkade National Archive. Many of Thom's original works can be viewed there.

5. Many noted authors through the years have lived in and around the Monterey area. Some of these include John Steinbeck, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ed Ricketts. Cannery Row was the setting of John Steinbeck's novels, Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954). Both were the basis for the 1982 movie, Cannery Row, starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. It is also mentioned in Bob Dylan's song, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.

6. Monterey has a noteworthy history as a center for California painters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Such painters as Arthur Frank Mathews, Armin Hansen, Xavier Martinez, and Percy Gray lived or visited to pursue painting in the style of either En plein air or Tonalism.