"Divine…gifted….extraordinary!" gushed the critics of the first solo U.S. exhibition of painter Olga Kaydanov.

The walls of the Denver art gallery came alive with her abstract impressionist flowers, animals, and landscapes. No question: the nine-year-old has a big future in front of her.

The budding Monet and her family emigrated from Russia last year. "She started to draw at age three," says her father. "We saw she was special and began giving her art lessons."

Some visitors to the show coveted genuine Olga masterpieces for their private collections. But her father declined: "It's hard to part with them now-we enjoy her paintings too much. We may sell some soon, though, in a New York gallery-they'll start at a thousand dollars."