“I love painting!” she says. “It relaxes me, and it’s something I look forward to doing.”

But this is no hobby or a mere favorite pastime. Adrienne Stein has been billed a child prodigy. People are basically saying that 16-year-old Adrienne is a genius in the painting world. “When I think of a child prodigy, I think of someone like Beethoven, not little me!” she says.

That’s probably because to her, art is just another part of life. It’s been her “thing” for as long as she can remember. As a child, she spent much of her time drawing and dabbling in art projects. Her parents didn’t note anything unique about the way she spent her time, nor the quality of the work she produced.

Adrienne was the first of four children born to Judy and Brad Stein, so they assumed such behavior and talent was normal for a kid! But after a teacher pointed out her outstanding capabilities — especially for her age — the Steins got her into an art class and Adrienne had her first public art show when she was only 11.

Feel-Good Art
That was five years ago. Since that time, she’s sold a bunch of paintings (around 100!). And each one sells from $500 to $5,000. But don’t think she’s in it for the money. She’s not a big spender (though she might treat herself to a CD or some new clothes with her earnings), and she saves most of what she makes for her future college education.

No, it’s not the money in the bank that keeps her returning to her easel; it’s the pure joy and satisfaction she gets from painting. And it shows. “My artwork has been described as ‘feel-good’ art,” Adrienne says. “Looking at pieces done by other artists, you can see the darkness in their lives. But I just love to paint the beautiful things I see in this world!”

For now, photographs from her neighborhood and from various family vacation spots serve as sources of inspiration. But Adrienne is eagerly awaiting, in the not-so-far-off future, the day she’ll leave for Europe to fulfill her dream of traveling the countryside and finding inspiration in every direction.

She’s only a sophomore in high school and she’s well on her way to accomplishing that goal. In the meantime, she’s in a rare position: balancing her life as both a student and a professional artist. She does it well, however, with the help of God and others.

“God has blessed me with people throughout my life who’ve helped me stay focused and motivated — my family and a few of my really close friends, in particular. I’m also involved in my youth group and I do devotions every night from a 365-day devotional book. It helps me stay focused and put things in perspective — my relationship with Christ, my family and my friends.”

Gifted by God
Her faith in God is what sees Adrienne through the joys and trials of her journey. Accepting Christ at just 6 years old, her relationship with the Lord is well rooted. And she can’t help but share with others His goodness and His miracles! The biggest one? Well, that’s as obvious as the paint on her hands.

“There isn’t anyone related to me that I got this from genetically. None of my parents or grandparents are artists. I guess the nearest relative is my grandpa’s cousin who is a portrait artist. But that’s pretty much the closest relative that we know of,” Adrienne says.

So when TV and newspaper reporters ask her about her amazing talent (and they certainly do! She’s been featured in countless local newspapers, YM magazine, Time for Kids magazine and on “Extra,” a TV newsmagazine), she serves as a witness for Christ!

“I don’t even bother trying to explain things logically — like saying I inherited the ability from a relative. I tell people that it truly comes from the Lord and I thank Him every day for that. It’s been neat to talk whenever I can about Christ and what He means to me; that He’s the center of my life and is the whole reason for my talent. It’s kind of hard with the local media unless it’s a live interview because they tend to edit those things out.”

What It’s All About
Her speech may be censored, but the zest for life and the compassion that God has given her find plenty of ways to express themselves. “I try to live by Luke 12:48: ‘From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.’ ”

God has indeed given her this gift and is pleased when she uses it as a means to partner with a different local outreach each year. Last year it was Access York, a charity for victims of domestic violence. “We did a show and had an awesome turnout. It was set up so half of the profits I received from the prints I sold went straight to Access York.”

Adrienne doesn’t believe her gift makes her any different from anyone else. “Everybody has the same amount of ability in different areas.Everybody is born with a gift. I was lucky enough to find mine out early.”

Her early discovery has given her wisdom and strength. “In Proverbs 3:5, it says to trust in the Lord with all your heart instead of your own understanding. That has gotten me where I am — just trusting Christ all the way. He has a plan and sometimes it’s so hard to see that because we’re so involved in what we want to do and trying to achieve our goals. Sometimes it takes a while to wake up and realize it’s not all about that.”