I think it is great that art is being used as an outlet for this child. What I find confusing is the independent sale of this artwork and heavy marketing online by her parents. If you research Candy Waters, you will see her parents promoting their zazzle shop that sells reproductions of her art in infinite forms, from greeting cards to clothing.

They have completely commercialized their daughter’s condition by creating a business with the artwork they claim as hers but show no evidence that she has actually painted it. They also claim that 50% of the sales of their zazzle products are donated to charity. Does the sale of this artwork actually benefit charity?

Beyond this, there is no visual evidence or proof that Candy has created the work that is so heavily branded as hers. If you watched the Youtube video of Candy painting, you will see her technique and resulting image differ completely from the style and precision in what is being sold on the zazzle shop. The two are night and day.

Consumers supporting the work of an autistic artist have a right to know the authenticity of the product they are buying. There is no evidence that they were done by an autistic artist. If you look at the following photo, labeled as Candy putting finishing touches on a painting, you will see that the painting is completely dry and the brush has no trace of paint on it at all.

Furthermore, when anyone directly inquires to the family about the process of Candy’s work, including parents of Autistic children, information that would be extremely helpful to them or therapists working with them, the comments get deleted, user gets banned, and the subject is completely avoided. Why do this unless you have a fraudulent operation you are trying to hide?

In an interview with a Licensed Art Therapist, her assessment of Candy’s work was as follows:

“I’ve worked with individuals with autism for the last five years, there are different levels of functioning. As autism is a Developmental Disorder, and often diagnosis is scale related, lower function to high function and the highest being Asperger’s. Candy seems to be lower functioning, and unable to produce the brush stroke seen in two of the paintings that I just looked at.

My individuals who cannot manipulate a paint brush, resemble Candy in the same manner and create abstract art, masses of color similar to what Candy does. My higher functioning individuals are able to manipulate the brush(es), and have completed portraits, still life’s and other compositions. I would also question it, as her father seems to do a lot of promoting in the video, telling her to spread that paint more. She is easily distracted, and her attention span is brief. Candy would not be able to do something like the birds without handover hand assistance, or someone doing it for her.”