Painting by: Nila Guadalupe Barja.
Dance in the Garden, 38"x48"
Pastel chalk and collage

From the artist: "This painting represents life. The garden is our each day, complete with struggles and challenges. By looking at these challenges as gifts for our growth, we can truly transform and dance in our garden every day."
About the artist: "My father had big dreams for me, which is why I was sent from Bolivia to Minnesota at the age of eight. As I was immersed in a new loving family, culture and language, art became an expression that freed me from homesickness. The energy and passion that go into my paintings are meant to heighten the old self to a new being, full of love and compassion for others, enabling us to embrace our differences." Nila can be reached at nilaart@yahoo.com.