Akiane - The Girl Who Paints God and her parents.

[greyleonard]

http://www.artakiane.com/home.htm

I think it sucks for the 12 year old artists who have more talent than her but don't exploit faith to make a buck. I first saw her on Oprah about a year ago, and searched for some skeptical info about her and found nothing. I still find nothing.

Here's my email communication with them:

Hi, I'm wondering if there is evidence to share that shows that Akiane painted the pieces attributed to her on artakiane.com.

THE BEGINNING TO END OR IN BETWEEN VIDEOS TELEVESION SHOWS AND DOCUMENTARIES USE ALL THE TIME.

AKIANE HAS BEEN WATCHED AS SHE PAINTS BY MANY.
IN THE FUTURE A FEW OF THEM WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE

AKIANE GALLERY
208-773-2090

Can you tell me where I can find a beginning to end video, please?

AT OUR GALLERY

Where is that?

PRIVATE ARCHIVES OF AKIANE GALLERY, IDAHO

You said "TELEVESION SHOWS AND DOCUMENTARIES USE" the beginning to end videos all the time. Which television shows and documentaries have used them?

IT IS CONFIDENCIAL

The name of the television shows and documentaries is confidential?
That doesn't make sense.

WE WRITE A CONTRACT OF CONFIDENTIALITY WITH TV SHOW SABOUT MANY THINGS

[RSLancastr]

I have my doubts that she paints the pictures. And in fact, here are a couple of interesting letters (particularly the second):

http://fagistan.blogspot.com/2006/11/more-people-who-need-to-learn-to-pray.html

[CFLarsen]

Take a look at this photo of Akiane. (http://www.artakiane.com/akiane_art.htm#)

How old is she at this time?

More like 11 than 8, right?

Yet, she painted this painting when she was 8...

[Haywire]

When the local news did a story about Akiane and her art, I thought "that's one creepy kid."
I don't know if it's normal or not, but you would have to pay to get into her gallery, just to look around. It might have been open just for the holidays. I'll try to find out more Tuesday during the day.

[CFLarsen]

When the local news did a story about Akiane and her art, I thought "that's one creepy kid."
I don't know if it's normal or not, but you would have to pay to get into her gallery, just to look around. It might have been open just for the holidays. I'll try to find out more Tuesday during the day.

No, that's not normal. The galleries are usually dying to get people to come in. Paying to get to see her paintings is not a gallery, that's an art exhibition.

What do you think about the photo? How old is she?

[Darat]

(She's been discussed from a different angle in this thread (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=51173).)

[Darat]

I hadn't looked at her work chronologically before - however (and I have to stress that this is based on the rather low res and small images on her site) there does seem a huge leap in both technique and a change of style between the pictures from Age 7 to age 8 - for instance look at the lion at Age 7 and the tiger at age 8.

Nothing that makes me leap-up and shout "cheat" or "fraud" especially given the changes in ability children do go through.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

I predict this story will not have a happy ending.

~~ Paul

[Amapola]

I predict this story will not have a happy ending.

~~ Paul

I'm afraid Paul is right.

The criticisms of this girl I have read are true - you need time to develop your skill. By the time you have lived to be 9, there just hasn't been enough time go by to get in all the practice you need. I know, I am an artist, and started drawing when I was 2. My abilities were always far beyond my peers - but still. A lot of it has to do with skill.

I have a feeling the mother is involved, as the link that RSLancaster supplied says.

[Crazycowbob]

I won't discount the possibility of her being quite gifted, as I've had the privilege to meet children in the past who have been remarkably talented in certain artforms. However, it being such an extraordinary claim, I would expect some sort of proof, such as the supposed beggining to end taped sessions. (And why would those supporting this not make those tapes readily available? It would settle things fairly quickly...)

Regardless of whether she paints them herself or not, I think it's safe to say her mother is playing the major role here, and if/when it all comes crashing down, it's Akiane who's going to be the victim.

[grayman]

Easy enough to prove.

Put her in a secure room with credible witness (and a video camera) and have her create a painting without any outside influence.

Of course there's the possibility that her creative talents may freeze up under pressure similar to what happened to Uri Gellar on The Tonight Show. :rolleyes:

[ChristineR]

She can't drive, and she isn't old enough to have a credit card, or live alone, so she can't buy paints! Of course her parents help her. The whole "locked room" test would be pretty much pointless. What would you say if Mom told her what to do? Mixed her colors? Made suggestions? Touched up sloppy brushwork? Sketched? Made comments? She obviously learned to paint by copying Mom's technique exactly.

I wouldn't be shocked if Rembrandt and Da Vinci had "help" also. Yeah, it's probably a lot more help in this kid's case, and maybe someone with a calculator and a stopwatch might declare the paintings are more than 50% mom, but that's sort of beside the point. All I see is a lot of crummy art. The child exploitation angle is pure ick. :stone006:

[DiskoVilante]

I hate how Oprah is so uncritical of people on her show. Heck...most TV is like that. It's so annoying. Espeically with Montel having Sylvia Browne on etc. etc...

Anyone find out if Akiane's mom, dad or relatives are artists? I think that'd solve this rather quickly.

[RSLancastr]

Anyone find out if Akiane's mom, dad or relatives are artists? I think that'd solve this rather quickly.According to the emails quoted in the blog I linked to above, her mother was known to have painted very similar works.

[I'll_buy_that]

so, a kid can paint a velvet painting of Barry Manilow, big deal, I've known a few talented youngsters before.

Doesn't make it art, though.

[Skeptic Guy]

She can't drive, and she isn't old enough to have a credit card, or live alone, so she can't buy paints! Of course her parents help her. The whole "locked room" test would be pretty much pointless. What would you say if Mom told her what to do? Mixed her colors? Made suggestions? Touched up sloppy brushwork? Sketched? Made comments? She obviously learned to paint by copying Mom's technique exactly.

I wouldn't be shocked if Rembrandt and Da Vinci had "help" also. Yeah, it's probably a lot more help in this kid's case, and maybe someone with a calculator and a stopwatch might declare the paintings are more than 50% mom, but that's sort of beside the point. All I see is a lot of crummy art. The child exploitation angle is pure ick. :stone006:

I'm sure we could provide her with some paints before locking the door.

But seriously, as Mr. Randi would say it would be up to her to tell us what she can do and under what conditions she could do it. I think touching up sloppy work and sketching might be problematic. Where does the responsibilties of the assistant end and those of the painter begin? Well before 50%.

[The Mad Hatter]

Anyone find out if Akiane's mom, dad or relatives are artists? I think that'd solve this rather quickly.

Yeah, according to one of the accounts in RSL's link:

Firstly, her mother is a painter in very much the same vein. In fact, one of the paintings on Akiane's website is virtually identical to a piece which was hanging in their living room, and was represented to us as being created by Ferelli. Also, Ferelli was avidly searching for a model for a portrait of Jesus that SHE wanted to paint.I don't see how it solves it though.

Edit: whoops, RSL beat me to it.

[Ladewig]

I hate how Oprah is so uncritical of people on her show.

She did have one of those ADCers on and the performance went so badly that Oprah has never had another one on her show.

[CFLarsen]

According to the emails quoted in the blog I linked to above, her mother was known to have painted very similar works.

Noooooooooooooooooooo.............

Really????

[CaptainManacles]

The first time I heard of her I recall thinking that it sounded like she wasn't painting them herself. Something about her making reporters leave the room because she couldn't paint while someone was watching, even though she supposedly paints while non-reporters are watching all the time. The cheesy stories are a bit over the top too; about how she, when she was nearly still a todler, converted her family over to Christianity. And if they're willing to tell a lie like that to boost sales then their obviously scam artists.

[Haywire]

Well, I called the 208 area code phone number in the OP and the downtown Boise "gallery" was open just for the holidays. If she has any more shows in town I'll let everybody know.
Also, I was told to have "a blessed day," which I think is also creepy.

[Cuddles]

I was in school with someone who could draw that well, although probably not aged 8. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she really did paint the pictures, especially if she has had support from artistic parents. They may be religious nuts, but she seems to be a very talented artist who deserves recognition a lot more than most of the modern artists around.

[Elizabeth I]

"Akiane - The Girl Who Paints God and her parents."

Doesn't it irritate them to be painted?

[Spektator]

"Akiane - The Girl Who Paints God and her parents."

Doesn't it irritate them to be painted?

I guess it depends whether she sands between coats.

[Raphael]

If the paintings are authentic..ie created by the daughter, not the mother, then the skill and technique are amazing for a child.

Beyond the technique, the works, as seen through my eyes, are hollow, sentimental, and just plain crappy.

Compare the portrait of Jesus below with a couple of Rembrandts. It could be argued that her ability to mimick reality is on par or better than the celebrated Dutch master; but as works of art...

edited to add-I picked the portrait of Jesus because I think it is the painting that comes closest to being good art.

[kedo1981]

She did make him look like Barry Manilow

[Ladewig]

If the paintings are authentic..ie created by the daughter, not the mother, then the skill and technique are amazing for a child.

Beyond the technique, the works, as seen through my eyes, are hollow, sentimental, and just plain crappy.

Compare the portrait of Jesus below with a couple of Rembrandts. It could be argued that her ability to mimick reality is on par or better than the celebrated Dutch master; but as works of art...

edited to add-I picked the portrait of Jesus because I think it is the painting that comes closest to being good art.

A good illustrator is not equal to a good artist. She does, however, seem to be exceptionally skilled example of the the former - if she really painted them.

[Marc L]

Of course, the other question is, even if she did paint these herself, so what? Just because she's a prodigy doesn't mean Gpd exists, or there's any reason to worship him.

Marc

[lolurigeller]

She is not a prodigy espeicially later on when other gifted artists will catch up in technical skill. Technical skill if you're in teh art world is a dime-a dozen but there is somethign that separates the best from the mediocre. And her work looks like stale paintings taken from photos and added with wrong color choices to make any more appealing anywhere close to a Rembrandt.

At her age her art lacks any kind of expression that is her own, other than what is indoctrinated to her by her parents and dogmatic belief system, and it is not really visually impressive to me at all, now the type of work I would consider impressive owuld come from most of hte classical masters ex: Degas, Michaelangelo, and other I forget. For example my favorite would be the work of Craig Mullins.

http://www.goodbrush.com

Sorry for sounding snooty, but i'm kind of an 'artist' myself.

[greyleonard]

It's good to know there's more skepticism on the record out there that I wasn't aware of.
I'm an artist, and the corny nature of the pics bothers the hell out of me, too.
It's infuriating that people are spending so much money on this crap.

[Garrette]

It's good to know there's more skepticism on the record out there that I wasn't aware of.
I'm an artist, and the corny nature of the pics bothers the hell out of me, too.
It's infuriating that people are spending so much money on this crap.Why wouldn't they? They spend money on this crap (http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.home.web.tk.HomeServlet), don't they?

[greyleonard]

Why wouldn't they? They spend money on this crap (http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.home.web.tk.HomeServlet), don't they?

No reason. That's damn infuriating, too. ;)
(someone at DU also pointed out the "painter of light" thing)

[Paul]

I am also sceptical about the artistic claims but also the claims that she is the "only known child binary genius, in both realist painting and poetry". Having read some of her poetry, at least the small amount they don't want money for, and the descriptions of the paintings it seems highly unlikely.

Much of the painting seems more likely to end up on a collector's plate than in an exhibition of artistic genius.

It certainly seems that despite Akiane's alleged comments that she wants to "share her love for God and people around the world" the main point of the site appears to be generating revenue for her parents.

[CaptainManacles]

I am also sceptical about the artistic claims but also the claims that she is the "only known child binary genius, in both realist painting and poetry".

I would highly doubt that, even if you were to call her poetry "genius", many modern techincal definitions of genius don't count you as one unless you can excel in more then one area.

[Paul]

many modern techincal definitions of genius don't count you as one unless you can excel in more then one area.Hence their claim that she excels in both painting and poetry.

[CaptainManacles]

Hence their claim that she excels in both painting and poetry.

Hence it's idiotic that the website suggests she's somehow the only child on the planet ever to be a genius in more then one area.

[Paul]

Hence it's idiotic...Quite, and yet another reason to err on the side of caution in regard to the totality of their claims.

[Malachi151]

I hadn't looked at her work chronologically before - however (and I have to stress that this is based on the rather low res and small images on her site) there does seem a huge leap in both technique and a change of style between the pictures from Age 7 to age 8 - for instance look at the lion at Age 7 and the tiger at age 8.

Nothing that makes me leap-up and shout "cheat" or "fraud" especially given the changes in ability children do go through.

There is nothing odd about that, especially if she is a prodigy. I'm not saying that she is, but this wouldn't indicate anything.

A rapid growth in ability would be par for the course, and from my own experience as an artist, I remember rapid improvements and variation in my artwork from one piece to another, withing weeks.

[wahrheit]

There is nothing odd about that, especially if she is a prodigy. I'm not saying that she is, but this wouldn't indicate anything.

A rapid growth in ability would be par for the course, and from my own experience as an artist, I remember rapid improvements and variation in my artwork from one piece to another, withing weeks.

Having done some realistic paintings in my youth, I'd agree.

However, her webpage regarding that Jesus portrait (http://www.artakiane.com/akiane_painting.htm) makes me wonder.

Let alone the ridiculous story how the model, "a humble carpenter" (!!), came to their house, I wonder why someone would make "dozens of sketches" and then produce nothing but the exact copy of a photograph?

Also, look at the amateurish sketch in picture #2. The quality of that sketch in no way matches the final painting.

There is something fishy about this, imho.

[LostAngeles]

(She's been discussed from a different angle in this thread (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=51173).)

I love that Tragic Monkey in post #2 says exactly what I thought when I first saw the paintings.

She can't drive, and she isn't old enough to have a credit card, or live alone, so she can't buy paints! Of course her parents help her. The whole "locked room" test would be pretty much pointless. What would you say if Mom told her what to do? Mixed her colors? Made suggestions? Touched up sloppy brushwork? Sketched? Made comments? She obviously learned to paint by copying Mom's technique exactly.

I wouldn't be shocked if Rembrandt and Da Vinci had "help" also. Yeah, it's probably a lot more help in this kid's case, and maybe someone with a calculator and a stopwatch might declare the paintings are more than 50% mom, but that's sort of beside the point. All I see is a lot of crummy art. The child exploitation angle is pure ick. :stone006:

Actually, from the art history I've studied, just about all of the, "masters," had help. You were trained to be an artist by studying under a master artist. I forget the degrees to which the assistants would help, but at the very least, you can pretty much be guaranteed that not every single brush stroke was done by the master. I actually think that in certain cases, the work done by the assistants was much more substantial, however, I can neither quite remember nor can I find a source right now. Someone with a more substantial background in art history (I think the main thing I learned was that there are far, far, too many works of art about the Annunciation) might be able to clarify this better.

[Stellafane]

I don't know whether or not Akiane's painting ability is genuine. (I hope so, because I think it would be cool, but for reasons others have cited I have my doubts.) But for all her gifts, my 8-year old son can spell a lot better that she can (or whoever it is that answers the email on her site). You would think that a family that produced a poetry genius could spell and write a little better than that, but whatever.

[fuelair]

Well, I called the 208 area code phone number in the OP and the downtown Boise "gallery" was open just for the holidays. If she has any more shows in town I'll let everybody know.
Also, I was told to have "a blessed day," which I think is also creepy.

"Blessed Be!!"

[Diamond]

The whole thing is creepy, but lets wait for the female hormones to kick in and THEN we'll see some art. ;)

[fuelair]

No reason. That's damn infuriating, too. ;)
(someone at DU also pointed out the "painter of light" thing)Never forget the first rule of Art (sales of):

"I don't know art, but I know what I like!" Remember also the second rule:

"Any chance the guy will kick the bucket soon so I can unload this thing for a bundle?"

[greyghost]

Having done some realistic paintings in my youth, I'd agree.

However, her webpage makes me wonder.

Let alone the ridiculous story how the model, "a humble carpenter" (!!), came to their house, I wonder why someone would make "dozens of sketches" and then produce nothing but the exact copy of a photograph?

Also, look at the amateurish sketch in picture #2. The quality of that sketch in no way matches the final painting.

There is something fishy about this, imho.

The fishiest thing about it is that the humble carpenter appears to have been actor John Caviezel...Did these folks think Gibson's movie was a documentary?
Seriously, to those who haven't seen the movie--that's who the paintings look like.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I attended prestigious arts high school and I can tell you that the girl, at the technical level, paints like some of the teachers at my school.

I think that's a trained artist doing those paintings. The most talented seniors at my school might have done those.

[cloudshipsrule]

think that's a trained artist doing those paintings. The most talented seniors at my school might have done those.

You're forgetting. She's a PRODIGY!

[Tamarillicent]

I found this (http://kielas.lkb.lt/2007/03/05/akiane-vunderkindas-ar-apgavyste.htm) doing a search on her mother's name. I think the blog entry is in Polish, but the CNN video is in English. Akiane and her mother talk about Akiane's art, she plays the piano, and she even pokes at a painting with a paintbrush!

[LawnOven]

Ugh those pieces of "art" remind me of the old adage about the dancing bear.

I hope for the mother's sake the daughter is the one painting them because there may still be still be some hope for her to someday actually be good at painting.

Hmm, I wonder if that's what michelangelo's paintings looked like when he was 11.

I guess my point is, I hope her family enjoys the novelty of a mildly talented child painter, because there's going to be a point when she reaches the age where she just another mediocre "inspirational" religious artist.

[fuelair]

Ugh those pieces of "art" remind me of the old adage about the dancing bear.


I guess my point is, I hope her family enjoys the novelty of a mildly talented child painter, because there's going to be a point when she reaches the age where she just another mediocre "inspirational" religious artist.Just like her mom.

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Hey, hey, hey- stop beating on the kid. It's not her fault her parents pushed her into this scam.

Two, whoever is doing those is mildly talented. Well, atleast good enough to get into, say, SVA.

[Crazycowbob]

Also, look at the amateurish sketch in picture #2. The quality of that sketch in no way matches the final painting.

There is something fishy about this, imho.
I agree that something just doesn't sit right with me about the pictures, something's missing, they're technically really good, but I think they're missing something in composition, though for an 11 year old, that's not bad at all!

But don't count the sketches against her, as you're comparing apples to oranges. My ex couldn't sketch to save her life, but is an excellent painter, while me, I can draw fairly well, but my paintings still bear the mark of an amature.

While everything does seem rather suspect, I wouldn't dismiss her completely, as we all seem to have a tendency to underestimate the abilities of children. I know a few 11 year olds, and I'm fairly sure that one or two, with enough coaching, and the desire for it on their part, could achieve similar results.

[wahrheit]

I agree that something just doesn't sit right with me about the pictures, something's missing, they're technically really good, but I think they're missing something in composition, though for an 11 year old, that's not bad at all!

But don't count the sketches against her, as you're comparing apples to oranges. My ex couldn't sketch to save her life, but is an excellent painter, while me, I can draw fairly well, but my paintings still bear the mark of an amature.

While everything does seem rather suspect, I wouldn't dismiss her completely, as we all seem to have a tendency to underestimate the abilities of children. I know a few 11 year olds, and I'm fairly sure that one or two, with enough coaching, and the desire for it on their part, could achieve similar results.

I agree, and let's not forget that for many of us the whole thing appears strange is in part simply due to the religious "mission" of that girl and the media hype.

Though even if she has done all those paintings herself, I would call her a good decorative painter at most, and not an artist. The quality of her paintings and the subjects of her paintings barely go beyond the stuff we all saw air-brushed on car hoods in the seventies and eighties. ;)

[Aepervius]

I would not be surprised if she painted that good at age of 9. I know somebody (well the daughter of somebody) which with only craydar (kraydar? the colorfull plastic stuff) did a wonderful job of making anime character (and ONLY anome character) at the ripe age of 12/13. It was very good, sometimes the girls on the picture were next to photo realistic from a distance of 1 meter, but mostly it was only anime stuff or looking like an anime character. Last I heard she is now in gothic flamboyant stuff, and gothic lollita. She is now 16.

So I do not disbelieve that she made all the stuff herself, but as much as my colleague daughter work, I find it technically beautiful but that is it. It would be a nice decoration, but it is missing something I can't pinpoint, but which is present in work of lesser technical habilities.

Heck my own sister did some nice "innocent" style painting (you know the one with child in various play looking like 5 years old with rosy checks). Now she works as an audit controler. But most of her painting were also as empty. Pretty but empty.

[aries]

She can't drive, and she isn't old enough to have a credit card, or live alone, so she can't buy paints! Of course her parents help her. The whole "locked room" test would be pretty much pointless. What would you say if Mom told her what to do? Mixed her colors? Made suggestions? Touched up sloppy brushwork? Sketched? Made comments? She obviously learned to paint by copying Mom's technique exactly.

I wouldn't be shocked if Rembrandt and Da Vinci had "help" also. Yeah, it's probably a lot more help in this kid's case, and maybe someone with a calculator and a stopwatch might declare the paintings are more than 50% mom, but that's sort of beside the point. All I see is a lot of crummy art. The child exploitation angle is pure ick. :stone006:

As for Rembrandt, we know he at least had help. Back in the 1600's people weren't that obsesses with seeing the artist as the genius on the loft, waiting to get inspired by --- you guessed it --- God. (this came later during the 1800's). Rembrandt had many little helpers. These would usually make the backgrounds, and all the boring stuff :sleep: - under the master's supervision of course ;) . Then he, Rembrandt would come, and paint the portrait and the details in the picture. And that's why it is futile, imo, to discuss, if Rembrandt himself did paint this or that painting, simply because for most of his paintings, he didn't.

I know that da Vinci had pupil/student who helped him for some of his career. And the student took notes, mixed colors etc.

As for Akiane's painting, I'm a bit skeptical about them, but not that much.
I'm a teacher myself, and some of my students obviusly find me a bore ;) as a teacher because they draw during my classes :cool: When I look at their drawings, they look like they have been done by a real artist - at least in detail. But I would tend to agree that she, at her current level (or niveau) just is very good decorative painter. Her paintings looks to me to be to nice, to crisp, to clear, as it looks like photographs to me. Some people have a very talented gift from drawing the exact same thing they have seen in a photograph or someone else - as a perfect remake. (of said photo).

I miss seeing her work or her personality in the paintings. Even in 9-10 year old's drawings or 15-16 year old's paintings, you can see at least some of the personality being transferred onto the paintings. Not so here, but that may change.

As for the sketching, my sketches are usually meh & bland, but my paintings are pretty good, if I do say so myself... I just use the sketches to give me a rough idea of what I'm going to paint, comtemplating how I'm gonna paint my motif.... ;) :D

Only time will, I guess, if Akiane is a good a painter as her parents claim her to be...

[Rrose Selavy]

As an artist and teacher of art (to adults) and from my limited research on the subject - child prodigies (younger than say 10 years, in representational art are very rare, (if not unknown) compared to say maths , music or languages -

Picasso made a big deal about painting like an adult very early , while he was certainly extremely competent - witness his "First communion" painting made at 16 -- his early drawings eg of Doves and bullfights are still child like though promising. However his encouraging father was a painter and teacher. The Pre Raphaelite John Everitt Millais was the youngest ever student of the Ra school at 11, known as "the Child".


There is the autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire but his work , though remarkable, follows a very set distinctive pattern.

It seems to me this type of conventional "religious" realist painting is very much something that is "learnt"- and no doubt Mum or Dad play a big (if not possibly fraudulent) part .

[wahrheit]

As for the sketching, my sketches are usually meh & bland, but my paintings are pretty good, if I do say so myself... I just use the sketches to give me a rough idea of what I'm going to paint, comtemplating how I'm gonna paint my motif.... ;) :D

But would you make rough sketches of an idea you want to paint if the final painting is an exact reproduction of a photograph? In other words, what's the purpose of that sketch on the left of the canvas (the Jesus carpenter thing), when in fact a photograph is the original?

[Crazycowbob]

But would you make rough sketches of an idea you want to paint if the final painting is an exact reproduction of a photograph? In other words, what's the purpose of that sketch on the left of the canvas (the Jesus carpenter thing), when in fact a photograph is the original?

Not all painters put paint onto a blank canvas. Many will sketch the rough idea out before hand (even if copying), so as to get everything in place and proportioned before laying down oil or acrylic. This is certianly the way I do it when I break out the paints, but I primarily work with pencil and pen, so I'm probably not a good example :D

The sketch you mentioned could have been any number of things, and probably was a practice run to make sure she could get the features in place before committing to the canvass version. (assuming, of course, she did the work)

[Haywire]

Well, I just caught the last day of her recent art show Saturday in downtown Boise. There was about two dozen of her paintings on the walls, and a TV in the corner playing clips of her appearances from various shows.
I didn't feel like buying a $2000 picture of the big J-Man, but I did get a program for five bucks. If anybody wants it...

[Ashles]

This painting of hers is entitled "Jesus The Missing Years"

http://www.artakiane.com/images/home_Jesus-New-World.jpg

He hung around in a Planetarium?

[Ladewig]

I just looked at the website again. I can believe that some of those paintings were done by a child less than 12, but I cannot believe all of them were. There are huge differences in layout and subject matter. If all the paintings were mixed up I doubt that anyone, even professional art teachers, could put them in anything close to chronological order.

[RSLancastr]

He hung around in a Planetarium?You mean plane arium."

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm more skeptical of the website than the paintings. Not to say her paintings aren't suspect, but some of her answers do not seem like they were written by her. She decided to home school? Her favorite food is ... food she shares because people are starving? She goes every week to the printing house to ensure the quality of the reproductions? She wants a house with 1000 rooms so anyone without a home can stay with her? About her poetry, she understands what she writes "from a child's eyes". Oh, come on. And this was a good one, "A few of them are included in my book that is available in bookstores." Now available at fine retailers everywhere, for the low cost of just $35.

The oldest two brothers, Delfini,15, and Jeanlu,13, decided to open the “Akiane” gallery for me and run it.

And the youngest, Ilia, 5, decided to run in it. Ha ha.. Somehow that doesn't sound like it was written from her perspective. But it's a damn good thing Ilia is such a shrewd businessman. That family is probably raking in the bucks.

I also have trouble with the idea that she grew up in an "atheistic" family, then turned them all to God when she was 4. Was it god that told her which church to go to or did they just settle on the closest? Maybe she drew them a map.

[calebprime]

The site is loading, but all I see is a grey screen.

Anyone else having this trouble?

All other 'Net functions ok....

??

[LawnOven]

Try praying.

;)

The background is gray... so thats where that color is coming from anyways.

Try a different browser maybe?

[XBoxWarrior]

Here it is in a nutshell.......I was "married" (and divorced after 6 weeks) to a Lithuanian home schoolin' jesus freak artist.......If Goratillia ever had half the imagination of this Mom, I'm sure I would be seeing my daughter's pic's here.......

However, my daughter made it out of the cult, and is now enrolled at NYU......I am happy!

peace

p.s. interesting thread

[calebprime]

Try praying.

;)

The background is gray... so thats where that color is coming from anyways.

Try a different browser maybe?


yeah, that's it--it loads ok on another computer using Firefox.

Doesn't seem to like an old iBook G4 with Safari.

IMO, her art peaked around age 8.

Hideous, awful stuff.

[Ron_Tomkins]

I think there´s nothing I loathe more than people who, because they realize they have highly developed skills in a given field, they have to inflate their ego by claiming themselves to be a ¨messenger of God¨ who want to ¨comunicate to people and bring them closer to the Almighty Lord¨. Again, another human tendency to not only take things too seriously (An art is a beautyfull thing but in the end it is nothing more than an abstraction, like any game), but also get too loaded with ideological BS and load other people´s minds with BS as well.

Just do your thing and be happy. No one needs another Messiah.

[luchog]

As for Rembrandt, we know he at least had help. Back in the 1600's people weren't that obsesses with seeing the artist as the genius on the loft, waiting to get inspired by --- you guessed it --- God. (this came later during the 1800's). Rembrandt had many little helpers. These would usually make the backgrounds, and all the boring stuff :sleep: - under the master's supervision of course ;) . Then he, Rembrandt would come, and paint the portrait and the details in the picture. And that's why it is futile, imo, to discuss, if Rembrandt himself did paint this or that painting, simply because for most of his paintings, he didn't.

Which is why most historians and critics are careful to distinguish between paintings where all the important work was by the artist himself, and paintings which were merely "school of" the artist; that is, they were painted predominantly by his assistants/students.

[ZamuBa]

Has anybody actually seen her painting?

[Ron_Tomkins]

Has anybody actually seen her painting?


I haven´t, but what´s your point?

[Alice Shortcake]

OMG - another Thomas Kinkade, as if one wasn't bad enough. :wackyarghh:

[RSLancastr]

I haven´t, but what´s your point?I think ZamuBa's point is, if nobody has actually seen her painting these pieces, perhaps she is not the one who is doing the actual painting.

[Kilgore Trout]

I took the point to be that the paintings stink.. But maybe I'm cynical that way.

[Explorer]

This a form of commercial art, the sort that you would get from a good illustrator but nothing more. If she has crafted the paintings herself, then she is has a talent and will make a good living from house furnishing paintings, and from the novelty of her youth.

Personally, I wouldn't give them house room. The over the top use of colours and compositions are far to commercial for me. You can pick this sort of stuff in any high street art shop from the far east, for flumpence, if it is to your taste.

[Soapy Sam]

Does a kid this age have art classes in school?
Wouldn't her teacher be in a position to comment?

[sophia8]

Does a kid this age have art classes in school?
Wouldn't her teacher be in a position to comment?
She's home-schooled, so no art teacher. There is, or was, a paragragh on in her biography on the site that described how she was once sent to an art class; she came home in disgust and announced she was never going again, because the teacher had the temerity to tell her how to paint.

[ZamuBa]

a paragragh on in her biography on the site that described how she was once sent to an art class; she came home in disgust and announced she was never going again, because the teacher had the temerity to tell her how to paint.

It could be that she really sucked at painting. Or that she was really good.

Either way, it proves nothing until we actually see her pick up a brush and put some paint on the canvas. Photos don't count.

[Ron_Tomkins]

I think ZamuBa's point is, if nobody has actually seen her painting these pieces, perhaps she is not the one who is doing the actual painting.


I don't see why that is so hard to believe. I have no problem believeing that a child can do amazing things at an early age. It happens all the time. It's what we usually call "geniouses" or "skillfull individuals" or "child prodiges".

I do have a problem believeing and/or accepting that the reason she can do those things is because she is a messenger from God with a divine message for mankind.

[ksbluesfan]

Wow, if she's this good at 12, I can't wait until she's 30 or so. She should develop into the best painter ever by that time, shouldn't she?

:p

[Haywire]

In the lower right hand corner of the paintings, where she signed her name, she also put her age at the time she did the painting. "Akiane, age 7."

[tek]

I very highly doubt she is actually painting those paintings. Those are simply way too clichéd to have come from a child. I mean, come on, she's a 12 year old, interested primarily in Jesus, but she has taken the time to insert a passing, new agey reference to the search for a unifying theory of the 4 primary forces(http://www.artakiane.com/paintings/age_12/age12_10.htm)? Somehow she understands, at this age, that painting pictures of babies playing with galaxies appeals to people with not a lot of taste? That makes me... a bit incredulous. Combine that with the evidence that her mother is a new agey painter with big aspirations for her daughter, the financial and religious incentive to lie, and the unwillingness to paint in front of a camera. Yeah, I'm giving 10 to 1 odds this kid probably dabs mom's paintings a few times then gets coached on what to say on the next talk show.

[CaptainManacles]

I very highly doubt she is actually painting those paintings. Those are simply way too clichéd to have come from a child. I mean, come on, she's a 12 year old, interested primarily in Jesus, but she has taken the time to insert a passing, new agey reference to the search for a unifying theory of the 4 primary forces(http://www.artakiane.com/paintings/age_12/age12_10.htm)? Somehow she understands, at this age, that painting pictures of babies playing with galaxies appeals to people with not a lot of taste? That makes me... a bit incredulous. Combine that with the evidence that her mother is a new agey painter with big aspirations for her daughter, the financial and religious incentive to lie, and the unwillingness to paint in front of a camera. Yeah, I'm giving 10 to 1 odds this kid probably dabs mom's paintings a few times then gets coached on what to say on the next talk show.

Yeah, combine that with all the obvious BS they push to sell her "we were an athiest family and she converted us at age 4" and it's pretty obvious she's not doing these herself.

[ExMinister]

I think the anonymous writer who used to live next door to Akiane's family, from the link RSL posted, is hard to ignore. If what that person says is true, there is little reason to believe Akiane is doing the paintings herself. First, he or she claims that when Akiane was little, the mother was a painter, that a painting suspiciously similar to one now being attributed to Akiane was at that time displayed in the home as having been done by Akiane's mother, and that the mother was at that time searching for a Jesus model - the same story they now attribute to Akiane. That, plus his or her statement that the mother was involved in the Urantia organization when Akiane was small, which is a New Age organization (the Urantia Book is "channeled" New Age material) helps explain the New Age tone to the paintings. Third, the mother now claims that before Akiane "converted" them to Christianity, they were atheists with absolutely no talk of God in their home, which would make no sense in light of her having the New Age/Urantia background. So, why would the mother now lie and state she was "atheist" with no mention of the New Age beliefs? To listen to this poor child speak about God and Jesus, she sounds to me a lot like the average young girl who has grown up with a New Age mom. Being a former New Age type, I am well familiar with these things.

It would seem that the paintings are most likely the mother's. I also find it interesting that the paintings are so big. In my experience, most children (and younger artists) tend to draw things fairly small. I took art classes in college and I recall that most of us needed help in learning to "loosen up" and draw things on a larger scale with easels, etc. She may have talent but simply had the bad luck of having a mother who has decided to involve her in a money-making scam.

[jkaram]

this was an e-mail sent to me through an art blog:

Blessing to You:


I seen your blog today and thought you might be interested in products utilizing the art of Child Prodigy Akiane whose visions of God and heaven are the inspiration for her art...she is internationally know and considered one of the top realistic painters in the world. Originals of her work sell for up to $1,000,000 in US currency. Akiane is now age 13 her, however, her first master piece of Jesus titled "Prince of Peace" was painted at age 8!

Art & SoulWorks is the only source for Akiane Gift products some of which can be seen at akianegifts.com

Even if you have no interest please visit our web site and be blessed by the face of Jesus as seen by this blessed child artist in
"Prince of Peace" or "Father Forgive Them".

We look forward to your comments
brandy@artnsoulwrks.com


----

umm...maybe I'm missing something, but if her paintings are truly selling for a million dollars, why would they need to spam random art bloggers to promote her work?

'scuse me while I go wretch some more.