The Heart of San Francisco by Thomas Kinkade ~ “I Left My Heart in San Francisco …,” so says the classic ballad; yet what is it about the fabled city by the bay that so strongly tugs at the heart strings? I will attempt to answer that question with a new series of paintings, of which this is the first.

My passion for San Francisco should be evident to all. After all, I’ve done nearly twenty images for publication that celebrate my beloved city by the bay. Yet looking back on all these images, I have yet to document a setting that is as quintessentially “San Francisco” as my newest work. We can almost hear the clanging of bells as a cable car makes its way ponderously up the street while colorful vehicles dodge to and fro on the congested pavement. Street musicians ply their trade as a makeshift audience gathers, and two lovers stroll arm-in-arm beneath an umbrella. At the far left, the towers of a Cathedral lend a timeless presence while in the distance, the Coit Tower and the picturesque monoliths of the bridge stand guard over the glistening bay. An Italian flag above a chop suey parlor bears testimony to the cultural diversity of my favorite city, and the ever present wisps of fog lend an enchanting mood.

As I worked, I wanted so much to enter The Heart of San Francisco that I even posed myself astride my vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle making my way up the steep incline of the boulevard!

Key Points

1. Opened in 1936, the famed San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is featured in the distance of The Heart of San Francisco. At its groundbreaking, President Herbert Hoover called it “the greatest bridge ever erected by the human race.” In 2007, it is scheduled to be demolished and replaced by a modern, single-towered bridge that will provide access to the city for over 270,000 vehicles per day.

2.Often called “Everyone's Favorite City,” San Francisco is well known around the world for its beauty, landmarks, and atmosphere. Measuring just 49 square miles, and dotted with landmarks like Lombard Street, Alcatraz, and Chinatown… San Francisco captures the hearts of all who visit.

3. Thom has incorporated some of his favorite city icons into The Heart of San Francisco: Cable cars, Coit Tower, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, and of course, street musicians and buskers!

4. Thom has hidden twenty N's in The Heart of San Francisco. Look closely and you will see the artist himself, astride a vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

5.Seven out of eight of the released Studio images of San Francisco painted by Thomas Kinkade are sold out from the publisher.  - Thomas Kinkade