Prodigy portrait artist
 

I just saw a short TV news bit about a 10 year old artistic prodigy. Her work is really amazing. When I first heard about it, I thought she might be another abstract artist/prodigy, but this young lady is a realist painter, and quite remarkable.

The paintings on her website are shown by the age at which she produced them.

Here is her website: ArtAkiane :thumbsup:

Everyone should visit her site. She is extaordinary!

She is incredible!
I can't wait to see what she can create years down the road!

The only remarkable thing is that a 10 year old would want to emulate second rate religious and greeting card art.

They are neither remarkable in content, color, design or execution and would be better hanging on a parish wall seen only by this child's relatives and friends. If they weren't done by a 'child' they would be seen as what they really are, truly dreadful paintings.

Picasso said that as a youth he drew like Rubens, and that it took him his whole life to relearn how to draw like a child. This unfortunate child is already painting like a second rate hack.

I agree with Sharon and appreciate her candor. A child of that age is unfortunately going to be influenced by the adults around her who in all likelihood haven't a clue.

Someone should introduce her to Cezanne and Caravaggio, Degas and Duccio, Vuillard and Velazquez. Meeting Oprah is really not the same thing.

[I'm going to edit my comment as soon as I can think of something more.... whimsical. I'm looking for that elusive whimsical tone here.]

This young girl is just that: a young girl. I don't think there is a reason to critique her paintings as though she were an adult.

Of course all kids are influenced by the adults in their lives, and at some point need to come to grip with what they themselves want and do to choose a course to get them there.

Euphoria and the Hangover
 

Well, I can't pass this one up. After a long career in the classroom (California) and many years as the teacher of gifted children, I fully realize the joy of discovering children with incredible abilities. It can be intoxicating for parents.(...who might I add, didn't create the child) who just as easily could have had a child of average intelligence or below. Like all highs, this Genius Intoxicant can cause a really bad hangover.

After reading her website I found that familiar knot in my stomach returning. THE MARKETING!!! Oh my! She is 10 years old...TEN YEARS OLD! Very often, families of gifted children forget all about the fact that the child IS A CHILD with experiences available only to a 10 year life span. So much is necessary for children - whatever their intelligence quotient is - to grow into a balanced, whole person, that to expose a child to the public and set her work up for critique the way the website does, is quite saddening to me. To paraphrase Linda and Chris, she is just a child with children's needs who happens to have some special skills. Putting her work out into the public arena invites comparisons in the same way that putting children in beauty pagents does. UGH! Opinions are part of that very format. A ten year old needs nurturing, protecting and guiding and loving. It's not loving to place her in that kind of position. Oh, well, I guess I still have a few Back-to- School Night talks left in me. Darn.

Carol Norton

She paints very well for a kid, but I hope she won't miss her childhood.

I love what Mozart produced at 18, 22, 24, but I'm amazed by what he composed at his 30's. Let's wait to see what is going to happen.

Her parents seem to be kinda freak symbiotic, not to mention a little fanatic, I hope she will grow up healthy and happy.

A visiting psychiatrist would probably have a field day with some of the comments posted in this thread. The bottom line is, who of us could paint that well at 9 and 10 years of age. I couldn't. Talent is talent. Will it develop further? I suspect so. If she continues to pursue art, what might experience plus talent produce in 10, 20 or 30 years? I think we might be very surprised and impressed. Give credit where credit is due. Alternatively, post your own art from when you were 9 and 10 and let us compare.

I would like to know why we don't see any gifted little boy prodigies.

True, but I

That's because they all discovered the "internet" and won't come out of their rooms.

LOL - that's my son! He doesn't have any time to discover his talents, because he's too busy playing online video games and IM'ing all his pals.

Back to the topic of the child prodigy - all I can say is, she's got loads more talent than I ever displayed at her age and I wish her well.

Richard,

Actually I painted quite well as a child. If websites had been available then I am sure my mother would have gotten me one.

Unfortunately, I cleaned out my mother's house after her death and threw the stuff out so I can't post it.

Since you seem to be conversant with the field of psychiatry, what comments exactly do you think that they would take exception to or interest in?

Sharon

First of all let me say that I am a great admirer of your talent and your beautiful paintings.

Second, why do you think my comment was directed at you? Others fit the bill as well. In any case I find it curious when any professional has a reaction to someone else's work product that seems to go beyond the measure of professionalism. What in that person's life experiences produces such a strong reaction. Not for me to know, but certainly worthy of some self examination.

Thirdly, my comments past the first sentence in my initial comment are still valid. The girl has talent and has shown significant growth in the 4 years of art work that is shown on her web site.

I'm happy that you painted well at an early age. I didn't have that gift. Sorry that all that early art is gone. I would have loved to have seen it. Future art historians would probably give their eye teeth to be able to get thier hands on it as well.

Keep up the incredible art and may peace of soul bless all of us.

Richard,

Thank you for your kind comments on my work. It is greatly appreciated.

I did not assume the comment was meant only for me, but was interested in what comments, both mine and others would have been of significance.

I am not saying the child isn't talented, but in my humble opinion she needs a gentler greenhouse and more sensitive direction than she is getting now.

I buy that one Bonfim !

Can

Who would that be, Richard? I would think that lots of people could have a strong objection to how young children are marketed without necessarily needing a psychiatrist.

Regarding the potential interest of psychiatrists
 

Correct me if I'm wrong, Richard, but I am supposing that the psychiatrist remark was simply a way of saying that our comments on another person's life/work often says more about us than it says about them. This would apply to all comments, both supportive and critical. An interesting thought and point of introspection which I don't think is meant to imply someone needs psychiatric help.

By the way, I think you are all fascinating and wonderful. ;)

Molly,

Thank you. You are absolutely correct. What I am fascinated by are the number of negative reactions derived from the relatively scanty information that was found on Akiane's website.

I appreciate my fellow artist's concern about the exploitation of children, but does the evidence support that concern? Read her poetry. It shows a very caring and engaged young lady. Wonderful traits for any person. Also. the website states that Akiane donates a significant number of her paintings to various charities. Doesn't that indicate that rather then exploiting Akiane, her parents have taught her to be a loving, generous child? If so I applaud them. Those are qualities very lacking in our self serving world.

What about the marketing of her art? Isn't that helping her to do the very things she loves while simultaneously teaching her very valuable business skills she will need when she does go out on her own?

What about the copying and tracing? Copyright holders would have been on her like a bad rash if she were doing that. Apparently that hasn't happened even with all the publicity she has received. Doesn't that indicate her art is original?

Cynthia Daniels has set a very high ethical and moral standard for this forum. i applaud her for setting the bar so high. Forum members have been extraordinary in helping and encouraging each other in keeping with those standards. Therefore why not continue to keep that wonderful spirit alive and vibrant by looking for the best? It is easy to find the negative, but it is focusing on the good that really helps people grow.

Richard, well said.

Richard,

Since I am the only one that has written about tracing I assume that you have misunderstood my post.

This is what I actually wrote.:

"It looks as these big paintings are tracings from photos, transferred via an overhead projector. The drawing has all the characteristics of a photograph in contrast to the surroundings such as backgrounds, fabric structure, sky and light effects that are done in a childish manner."

Allan

Allan,

You are a very mature artist and produce work that I think is absolutely fantastic. Your skill and experience bring much to this forum. However, I wonder if a fair, studied and objective asseessment has been made by some of us in the case of this young prodigy.

If one goes to her web site and clicks the the tab "paintings", they would see a progression of steps in the painting of one of her Christ figures. There is also an explanaition of how she paints after taking reference photos and making many sketches. She also prefers to paint big paintings 40x 60 inches (101x152cm). That step progression clearly shows she is working from a smaller sketch. However, what if she did use a tracing? Haven't we all done that at one time or another? Projection? Some of the forum members admit they do that also. What we should find stunning in that step progession and some of her other paintings is her use of soft and disappearing edges and her very effective use of value ranges. Astounding for, at the time, a 9 year old child.

We owe it to each of our fellow forum members to give each critique or comment our very best effort. Somehow it didn't seem that we did that in this case. In any case I hereby give up my soapbox on this thread as I think all the points have been addressed.

Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing your new paintings as they come off the easel.

Dear Richard,
I agree that this case became a bit overexposed and that there must have been some misunderstandings, sorry.

Allan

There are countless artists out there who are twice to 8 times this girl's age whose work is technically inferior, be that with the assistance of projections, photography, et al. To criticize her abilities at her tender age is surely an unfair, hairtrigger response (and, speaking of psychology, does the word "envy" perhaps come to mind?).

Personally, I have no problem with the subject matter. I will admit that it seems marketed in a rather heavy-handed manner (Scott B. has it right when he suggests sending her "Supper At Emmaus").

Akaine herself is marketed in a rather heavy-handed manner, as well. This I don't like. It smacks of the attitudes at a beauty pageant or those of the typical "tennis parent" (q.v. Mary Pierce and her past, if this idiom is unfamiliar). It robs the child of their identity and holds them up to a standard set by adults who forget that this is a child and not a product.

Of course, I may be assuming too much with this opinion, but that is the feeling I got from the site. But, if I'm wrong (and I hope for this girl's sake that I am), then the work from her in the future will be beyond amazing.

Or - she may get sidetracked by her junior high school soccer team.