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Girl, 7, Becomes Famous Artist By Mistake
Filed under: In The News, Amazing Kids
Leilah Poulain holds her painting that is on display at London's Saatchi Gallery. Credit: Adam Gray, SWNS.com
You can almost hear a million artists screaming. They would give their left lungs to have one of their paintings exhibited at London's oh-so-exclusive Saatchi Gallery.
Yet, 7-year-old Leilah Poulain has her painting of a penguin hanging in the gallery -- because of a mistake, The Sun of London reports.
Poulain's mother, Rebekah, just wanted to download the penguin picture to a private online folder at home. Instead, she accidentally uploaded it to a public file and automatically entered Leilah in a national art competition.
Two years later, Poulain was notified that she was one the winners. Her penguin painting is now hanging alongside works of famous artists such as Damien Hirst.
"Apparently there were 1,700 entries," Rebekah tells the Sun. "It seems it happened because I'm an idiot. Leilah thinks it's brilliant."
However, the 7-year-old is not quite sure what it all means. "Does this mean I'm famous?" she asks the paper.
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ReaderComments (Page 4 of 5)
6-08-2011 @ 5:56PM
Laughing Lady said...Prodigies have one thing in common---they start young. I hope this girl has a long and illustrious career ahead of her.
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6-08-2011 @ 6:09PM
mopie said...you people are morons, this just proves that the so called experts are fools. The elite of the art world declare someone an artist and everyone says"well, they're smarter about this than me". No they are not! they are lazy bums who because of their bizarre behavior are annoited as knowing more than the avaerage person.
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6-08-2011 @ 6:20PM
RICHARD ERICKSON said...Most great products come from a mistake. Examples include cellophane and post-it notes
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6-08-2011 @ 6:23PM
INDEPENDENT VIEW said...I agree!
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6-08-2011 @ 6:26PM
Steve said...looks like a lump of waste on the body of something.
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6-08-2011 @ 6:41PM
c griffin said...Penny auctions are a scam....multiply all those prices by 60 to get a real dollar total...even higher actually since many others bid before the shill let's it go....
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6-08-2011 @ 6:43PM
Jerry said...This childs painting looks as good as any Picasso, I have ever seen, it also rivals any Dali painting on the market!!!!
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6-08-2011 @ 8:31PM
bev said...Jerry: First of all I doubt you know much about Salvador Dali. You said it looks as good as any Picaso still laughing about that one. Hoping you really don't believe that because that would prove my point of you knowing nothing at all about art. Every parent thinks their child is a genius in someway but to have someone else think these paintings deserve attention in a museum is beyond being stupid and unknowing about art. The little girl is a cute kid but the talent of any other child her age. My daughter and son in law are both artist and well known in their area and now in a few countries in Europe. They are received many honors and are both in the Society of Illustrators. ( sure you don't know what that is but you can look it up) Their daughter is young and loves drawing and painting just like every other child. She has learned the basics from her parents about composition etc and probably has a head start on some kids not having the opportunity she has. They would not be so stupid as to think her drawings and painting should be in a museum and would laugh at you for saying this child is better than Picaso. one question: I assume you are related to this child - uncle maybe
6-09-2011 @ 6:44AM
Sunday said...@bev - Sheesh, get off your high horse! If you HAD any knowledge about art as you say you do, then you would know that art is subjective. It's too bad your "artist" daughter and son-in-law are not actually famous for their work, otherwise their art would be on display in every well-known museum there is around the world. Your comment was one of jealousy and bitterness. Perhaps you should learn to be happy for someone...then maybe you wouldn't be so miserable all the time.
6-08-2011 @ 8:20PM
MaryM said...I'm not sure I believe this, in fact, I am sure I do not believe this. The mother accidentally happened to upload the picture into a public file that just happened to get her into an art composition. Bull.
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6-08-2011 @ 7:07PM
UhHuh said...A couple comments: 1) To all the spammers. I know you're just bots posting and there's no human being behind any of the posts, but on the odd chance an actual person does come back to check to see if they were posted, I now know what URL's to avoid. YOURS. All spam was reported. :P 2) @Kygongames: Not every type of art is everyone's tastes. My grandma loves Thomas Kinkade to give an example (and yes, I know his work isn't abstract. :P ). With all due respect to the man, I can't stand his art. But I respect her opinion on what she likes as far as art. Same with abstract works. Some like them, some don't. Just that simple.
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6-08-2011 @ 7:08PM
Sleepless in Seattle said...It's the Emperor's New Clothes, come to life.
More than anything else, I think this speaks to the idiosy and pretention that is so rampant in the "Art World."
And now, hopefully, someone with more dollars than "sense" will offer her thousands for it!
Her mother has a great attitude, and certainly the daughter did a fine painting of a penguin -- for a seven-year old. They are getting the last laugh!
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6-08-2011 @ 7:10PM
disqusted said...The overwhelming majority of the "comments relevant to this site" are ads. My first visit to this site. Andf definitrly my LAST!
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6-08-2011 @ 7:30PM
Amie Lee said...This makes no sence to me:
"Poulain's mother, Rebekah, just wanted to download the penguin picture to a private online folder at home. Instead, she accidentally uploaded it to a public file and automatically entered Leilah in a national art competition."
How do you accidentally upload and image and enter it into a contest....she would have had to put him information too... How else would they have found her? Her IP address?
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6-08-2011 @ 9:13PM
Bill said...Hmmmm... I always thought modern art had thje quality of a 7 year old painting for Mothers day.... Guess I was pretty close.....Oh and it wasn't a mistake... someon who the art community thought had taste ....welll really didn't have any...what so ever
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6-08-2011 @ 7:58PM
Tray said...You go little girl!
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6-08-2011 @ 8:00PM
Ms Bri said...Sooo apparently my $80.000 education is worthless. I'm not bitter I swear. Good for her.
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6-08-2011 @ 8:31PM
Robert Reilly said...The young girl asked if she was famous. Don't know the answer to that question but I sure as heck know that the judges who picked this chlds painting ARE IDIOTS!!!
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6-08-2011 @ 8:01PM
Tray said...I was wondering the same thing but regardless I think it's great for that sweet faced little girl.
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6-08-2011 @ 8:31PM
Bev said...Ohhhhh plezzzz give me a break. The child is cute and she enjoys painting and they say there is an a - - h o l e for every seat and this proves it.
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