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George (Georgie) Pocheptsov was born in 1992, to Ukrainian parents, both college professors, who had just immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Soon after their arrival to the States, however, Georgie's father became gravely ill. To keep her toddler occupied while she cared for her husband, his mother gave Georgie paper and pencils. Georgie's artistic talents became apparent quite quickly. At just 17 months old, Georgie was creating incredible drawings, and he started producing paintings before he was able to talk. Creating his own magical world, Georgie's pictures were filled with angels, animals, monsters and fantastic creatures. He painted a universe overflowing with love and happiness. At the age of 7 he said, "I want people to look at my paintings and see that the world is beautiful". Presently, Georgie retains his uniqueness and childlike imagination while creating his beautiful and complex works of art. Now considered a child prodigy, this rare artist has been compared to Picasso and Chagall. Georgie has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC Nightly News, the Today Show and Good Morning America. He was invited to the White House where he presented one of his paintings to Colin Powell to be donated to America's Promise Alliance for Youth. General Powell was so impressed with his work, that he commissioned a painting for himself. Georgie's work and story have been featured in Time, People, US Art, Art News and Architectural Digest. He's been commissioned to do paintings for Celine Dion, Michael Jordan and the United Nations 60th Year Anniversary. A documentary movie about Georgie, "Brush with Destiny", recently won an Emmy Award. Despite his astounding rise in popularity, Georgie remains a normal boy with an enormous heart. For the past 8 years, Georgie has contributed almost one million dollars to the community. He has donated his work to such causes as the John Walsh Fund for Missing and Exploited Children, the American Cancer Society, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the Ronald McDonald House, amongst many others. |