4-Year-Old Artist Rolling in the Dough

Have you ever thought that abstract  paintings by Jackson Pollock and some other famous artists looks like they were done by a preschooler? And, by the same token, that maybe your kid's splattered and smeared pieces of work could be sold for some serious cash? You're not alone.

And someone has beat you to it. A young artist named Aelita Andre has burst onto the art scene, and, get this -- she's 4 years old and her paintings are selling for $20,000 and up. The little Australian girl's artwork is being promoted and peddled by her artist parents, who most likely give her pieces their silly new-age names like "Butterfly Nebula 4" (unless Aelita knows what a nebula is...!).

Check out this video of Aelita making some of her creations. What do you think? Something special? Nothing special?  

Basically, her mom went to some pretty prominent art galleries in London and New York and pitched the paintings of a hot new artist -- without revealing Aelita was a child. Aelita's first gallery exhibit was when she was under two years old!

This story raises some interesting questions (besides what's so special about her work). How large of a role are the parents playing in the final product of Aelita's masterpieces? Are they exploiting her in any way? (Hopefully the cash will go to her college fund!) Will she stay famous -- or even want to be an artist? Will she resent reaching the limelight before she even knew how to tie her shoes?

And one question you're probably pondering... could my kid do this?

Sure, some of Aelita's work turns out pretty cool, just because she is so uninhibited with her pouring, squirting, and smooshing of paint onto the canvas (prepped by mom and dad). So maybe your child could be the next Aelita if you foster his artsy side (and don't care about paint getting in his hair -- and everywhere)!

But the novelty of a famous 4-year-old artist in this trendy world might wear off quickly.

Oh well. Even if Aelita's five seconds of fame are up soon, it looks like she's having fun making a big ol' mess. Maybe that's the takeaway here: Let your kids go crazy with their favorite activities every once in a while. Leave the gallery-hopping PR blitz to some other Mom. There's lots of room on your fridge.  :-)

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