“China Girl” - a new, original painting by Miami-based artist Natalia Babi sold last week on eBay auction for over one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) ! This painting was inspired by the new, popular Disney movie “Oz Great and Powerful”. Natalia shared that her inspiration for this work came from the beautiful and touching character “China Girl”, as she became the single, surviving soul in a fairy tale city destroyed by flying monkeys.

 

The fame began when Phillip Huber, creator of the original “China Girl” marionette for the movie, endorsed and posted a photo of Ms. Babi’s artwork on Facebook to share. Later on, the painting went for an online auction – fierce bidding has pushed the price of a ''Wizard of Oz'' themed art over $100,000! At the time of it’s listing, Natalia Babi’s “China Girl” - was the highest priced artwork in the world being auctioned on eBay. A happy winner - the art collector Fred Trust, who is fascinated with everything to do with Oz memorabilia.

 

In Mr. Trust’s blog - RareOzBooks.com - he writes: “ I fell in love withthis original painting of rising artist Natalia Babi. I love her unusual detailed artwork that reminding me of filigree jeweler’s masterpiece andlike any other fairy tale that ends on a positive note - artist introduced a concept of transferring broken china pieces into wonderful fly-away butterflies. Certainly it will become a unique collectible item for my Oz-collection".

 

Since Fred Trust donates and displays his collection at various museums regularly, he plans to display “China Girl” alongside his collection of one of a kind Oz marionettes in the National Museum of American History in 2014 in the new entertainment wing of the museum.