• Only started painting lessons in 2008
  • Work bought by international collectors for tens of thousands of pounds
  • Paints three pictures a week
  • Proud mum has written book about his prodigal success

PUBLISHED: 08:59 EST, 12 July 2012 | UPDATED: 09:16 EST, 12 July 2012


Nine-year-old Kieron Williamson's latest set of paintings sold within minutes fetching 250,000.

Nine-year-old Kieron Williamson's latest set of paintings sold within minutes fetching 250,000.

A nine-year-old art genius nicknamed 'Mini Monet' is about to become a millionaire after selling his latest collection of 24 paintings for 250,000.

Kieron Williamson, from Norfolk, had his landscape pictures snapped up by telephone and internet buyers from around the world in just 15 minutes during a recent sale.

The youngster only started painting during a family trip to Devon and Cornwall in 2008 - before then he had just coloured in dinosaurs his parents had drawn for him.

But since then he has become an international art sensation with some of his pieces being bought for tens of thousands of pounds.

The paintings sold recently included two landscapes priced at 34,950 each while even small pastels which took him just a few minutes to paint sold for between 6,000 and 7,000.

Kieron's work first came on the market in the summer of 2009 when 19 of his paintings were sold for 14,000 in a sealed bid auction.

Three months later another 16 of his paintings were up snapped for 17,000 in just 14 minutes in his second exhibition at the Picturecraft gallery.

He made another 106,260 last November when an exhibition of a dozen paintings sold out in just ten minutes and 50 seconds.

An exhibition of 33 of his oils, watercolours and pastels sold out within half an hour for 150,000 in July 2010 with buyers flying in from Arizona, New York and South Africa to snap them up.

Some fans even camped outside the gallery for up to 48 hours to make sure they did not miss out on one of his paintings while others telephoned in bids from Tokyo, Canada and Germany.

His record price for a painting so far was 42,500, for a picture of Mevagissey Harbour in Cornwall which was bought by an insurance company last year and now hangs in its boardroom.


The talented youngster beautifully captures a winter scene in 'Snow at Dusk.'

The talented youngster beautifully captures a winter scene in 'Snow at Dusk.'

Another ten of his pictures are due to sell for 100,000 when they are released during the seventh exhibition of his work, which opens next Friday.

Before hitting the big time Kieron used to live with his family in a rented flat next door to a petrol station in Holt.

But with his earnings set to pass the 1 million mark his family have been able to move to a 150,000 home in the picturesque village of Ludham in the Norfolk Broads - which was the home of his artist hero Edward Seago.

However, the talented schoolboy will not be given free access to his rapidly growing wealth until he reaches 18, as his parents Michelle, 39 and Keith, 45, have been investing it on his behalf.

Mrs Williamson has written a book detailing her son’s astonishing rise to fame in the art world, called ‘Kieron Williamson Coming to Light - The Remarkable Story of a Child’s Gift to Painting’.

Mrs Williamson whose husband helped write the book said: 'His paintings are continuing to progress and improve - but he is still a normal boy.

'The critics are now accepting that his art has moved on from that of a naive child and he is now being compared to his adult peers,' she said.

This work, entitled 'Staithe Road Winter Shadows' sold for 17,495.

This work, entitled 'Staithe Road Winter Shadows' sold for 17,495.

'He is not quite as prolific as he used to be because he is busy with his homework and is in the school football team. He makes sure that he has time for all the other things he enjoys.

'He no longer gets up at 6am and knocks out a painting before school. He would rather watch TV and play about - but he still loves painting and does two or three a week.'

All of the money Kieron earns goes through his very own limited company, of which he is a shareholder.

His parents will remain as directors until the prodigy is old enough to handle his own financial affairs.

'We are a bit paranoid about how Kieron is viewed, said Mrs Williamson, 'hat is important to us is that he remains balanced and relates to his peers.'

Kieron will be signing copies of his mother’s 24.99 book at the opening of his latest exhibition next Friday and on Saturday at the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt, Norfolk.

Another of Kieron's incredible paintings called 'Marsh Harrier Hunting.'

Another of Kieron's incredible paintings called 'Marsh Harrier Hunting.'

The retrospective exhibition will feature more than 100 of his paintings over the years to illustrate how his work has progressed.

The works on display will include the 24 that he has just sold as well as the ten which are mostly being kept back for sale during the exhibition.

Adrian Hill, the managing director of the Picturecraft gallery, said the decision had been made to sell the bulk of the paintings in advance to ‘avoid chaos’ when the exhibition opened.

'Kieron’s success has gone far beyond him just being a little boy who is good at painting,' he said.

'He does traditional seascapes and landscapes that the public just love.

'If you ask him about his incredible financial success, he just looks at you and grins. His first question is never, ‘did I sell them all?’ Instead he asks, ‘did people like them?’

Kieron kept his cool when he was asked if it meant anything to him to have earned nearly 1million. He just smiled and replied, ‘Not really’.

He added: ‘I would like to go to other countries to paint and experience different lights. I want to explore Norfolk, Cornwall and Scotland a bit more.’