Love, peace from 'Petite Picasso'
She has created for presidents and celebrities. Now you can meet her at Syd Entel Galleries.
By TERRI BRYCE REEVES, Times Staff Writer
Published September 7, 2007
SAFETY HARBOR - Before she had ever seen a Picasso, Alexandra Nechita was drawing stylized images of people with blue faces, green hair, three eyeballs and four arms.
"I was just making things that looked cool to me," she said during a phone interview from her home in Los Angeles.
Her young classmates often poked fun at her quirky style.
But no one's laughing now - except maybe the lyrical figures in her paintings that hang in museums around the globe.
Nechita has achieved remarkable fame in the art world.
At age 11, she was named the official artist for the 39th annual Grammy Awards. She has created works for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Rosie O'Donnell, David Letterman and Whoopi Goldberg collect her art.
Not bad for an artist once chided by teachers for not drawing the "right way."
This weekend Nechita, 22, is making a personal appearance at Syd Entel Galleries in Safety Harbor. Her art will be on display and for sale.
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., budding artists up to 12 years old are invited to draw and color with Nechita. Later that day, people can meet the artist from 6 to 9 p.m. Nechita will also appear at the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.
"She'll be on hand to talk about her work and personalize anything acquired here," said Susan Benjamin, who owns the gallery with her mother, Syd Entel.
The gallery features about 80 of Nechita's lithographs, serigraphs, drawings, paintings and sculptures that range in price from $2,950 for a lithograph to $95,000 for an original painting.
Gallerygoers will undoubtedly draw comparisons with works by Picasso, but they will likely note differences, too.
"Alexandra's work is happier and more colorful; it has more dimension," said Benjamin. "I always feel like she's trying to tell a positive story. Seems like her cup is always half-full."
Life, indeed, is good.
"I am incredibly happy," Nechita said. She comes from a close-knit family, loves what she does, and uses her art to promote themes of love, peace, happiness, spirituality and the environment.
Born in Romania in 1985, Nechita held her first solo public show in a library in Southern California at the tender age of 8.
"I had a big body of work - about 100 canvases at the time," she said. "I just thought it was great to have cookies and punch and have my friends come and view my work."
By age 10, she was creating works that were being compared to those of accomplished adults. The media took notice and soon, the "Petite Picasso" was making the rounds on programs like Today, The Oprah Winfrey Show and 60 Minutes.
In 1999, she was selected by the World Federation of the United Nations Associations to lead a global arts initiative.
She has produced artwork for Polaroid's 50th anniversary and the World Peace Music Awards. Her list of accomplishments goes on and on.
"I've seen her grow over the years," Benjamin said. "I feel so honored to have her here."
Terri Bryce Reeves can be reached at treeves@tampabay.rr.comIF YOU GO
Meet the artist
What: Syd Entel Galleries presents an exhibit and personal appearances by artist Alexandra Nechita.
When: The exhibit is on display through Sunday. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, children are invited to draw with Nechita. The public can meet the artist from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Syd Entel Galleries, 247 Main St., Safety Harbor
Hours:9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today;10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday for this special event.
Info: Call 727 725-1808 or visit www.sydentelgalleries.com