Alexandra Nechita takes a diversion from painting by turning cartwheels in the front yard of their Norwalk home. Only a wall separates their backyard from the Interstate 5. Her agent in Costa Mesa says if it were up to him, he'd move the family tomorrow, that the neighborhood worries him sick. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

Alexandra paints while surrounded by her works-in-progress in the family room-cum-art studio of the Nechita 's modest Norwalk home. Within nine months, she's had 16 solo exhibits of her paintings, at least $1.5 million in sales. Today, most of her paintings sell for between $30,000 and $60,000, although one just sold for $80,000. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

Alexandra Nechita sprawled out on her Pocahontas bedspread in her Norwalk home, playing with Maximillian. She says that aside from painting, she likes nothing better than playing with her baby brother, her best friend. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

Alexandra Nechita's paintings were recovered from customs and displayed in the Romanian Embassy barely in time for media and dignitaries to view during a reception held on the last evening of their tour in London. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

Alexandra Nechita, 10, has a touch-up done on her hair before going on television show "ESTER," a London version of Oprah. This was part of her seven-nation European tour in March, in which she was accorded a constant stream of media attention. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

Left, Alexandra Nechita, upset with Costa Mesa agent Ben Valenty, right, tells him she doesn't want excuses, she just wants her paintings. Her paintings were detained in customs andbarely showed up in time to be viewed in London. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

During her seven-nation European tour in March, the British defense minister accepted a gift of her painting "Dove and the Angel of Peace" on behalf of his government, which planned to place it in a gallery for public viewing. The media in London showed up for this event in large numbers--intrigued by this famous child artist, Alexandra Nechita. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

Left, Alexandra and her mother, Viorica Nechita, share a quiet moment together in London, part of their seven-nation European tour in March--in which Alexandra was feted by government officials and accorded the media coverage of a head of state. ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times

"I know what I have is a gift from God, Jesus and the angels," Alexandra says, a refugee child prodigy artist from Romania. "Everything could stop and finish today I wouldn't care. If people hated me and my paintings, I wouldn't care. I'd still paint." ©Gail Fisher Los Angeles Times