Prodigy portrait artist

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.

Linda Brandon · 06-02-2005, 01:13 AM

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

Scott Bartner · 06-02-2005, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda Brandon

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

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

Julie Deane · 06-02-2005, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Bartner

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.

Sharon Knettell · 06-03-2005, 01:23 PM

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?

Allan Rahbek · 06-03-2005, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claudemir Bonfim

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.

I buy that one Bonfim !

Can

Allan Rahbek · 06-05-2005, 10:12 AM

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

Richard Monro · 06-05-2005, 11:35 PM

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.