Prodigy portrait artist

Molly Sherrick Phifer · 05-29-2005, 07:10 PM

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

Richard Monro · 05-29-2005, 07:57 PM

Everyone should visit her site. She is extaordinary!

Matthew Severson · 05-29-2005, 11:04 PM

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

Sharon Knettell · 05-31-2005, 08:29 PM

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.

Scott Bartner · 06-01-2005, 02:12 AM

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.

Linda Brandon · 06-01-2005, 10:54 AM

[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.]

Chris Saper · 06-01-2005, 06:41 PM

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.

Carol Norton · 06-01-2005, 08:30 PM

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

Claudemir Bonfim · 06-01-2005, 09:32 PM

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.

Richard Monro · 06-01-2005, 09:50 PM

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.