Teen Started Painting In Lockdown And Is So Talented She’s Exhibiting In Galleries & Getting $10,000 For One Canvas

Oct 20, 2021 by apost team

We’ve probably all attempted to pick up a new hobby or try something new over the past couple of years, especially during times when the world was put on lockdown. This short pause gave us a chance to learn a new talent or further develop ones we already had, whether it be singing, dancing, painting, or writing. 

A 14-year-old has been captivating people from all over the world with her amazing artistic abilities. Makenzy Beard from the city of Swansea in Wales first picked up the hobby of painting during lockdown. What makes Makenzy stand out so much compared to other artists is the fact that she is so young and so new to the world of painting yet has somehow already mastered the skill. Her portraits have even gone on to be shared in galleries, with some of her canvases being sold for thousands of dollars.

The teenager first picked up the hobby in March 2020 after schools closed, finding comfort in painting in her garden shed. She quickly began receiving international attention for her portraits after her very first piece went viral across social media platforms. The painting was a portrait of John Tucker, a farmer who lived next door to Makenzy.

Makenzy’s artwork has since gone on to be seen by people all over the world with the help of social media, as well as in-person in art galleries. The teen’s abilities are so sought after that she is even selling one of her paintings for more than $10,000. Read on to find out more about this talented teen artist.

In July 2021, BBC reported that Makenzy’s portrait of her neighbor would be on display at the Young Artists’ Summer Show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London during the months of July and August. The young artist uses photographs of people to help her create the portraits. It took about 20 hours over the course of three weeks for Makenzy to complete the one of Tucker.

“I had some free time on my hands and my mom used to love to paint so we had paints and canvases and brushes,” Makenzy said. “I thought ‘why not give it a try’ and it escalated from there.” When Tucker saw the portrait in person, he said, “It’s absolutely brilliant. It’s like a photograph.”

The picture went on to be shared on social media and immediately went viral. “Seeing people from all over the world commenting on it and talking about the light, the tones, and the texture, is just really wonderful for me,” Makenzy explained.

In October 2021, BBC reported that art enthusiasts from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East had expressed interest in her work, with three of her pieces already being sold. One of her portraits went for £10,000, or $13,798.50.

Although she’s not sure if she wants to be a professional artist as a full-time career, Makenzy is happy with her current hobby. She said, “This is a whole new step for me. Going from having your work in your own shed or posting it on social media, but then to have experts in the art world recognizing your work and to actually want it in their space to show it off is really nice.”

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What do you think about this teenager’s artwork? Were you surprised to learn that she’s been painting for less than two years? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends, too.