This piece was made to enter a contest in Italy. I generally prefer to let the viewers see what they desire in my paintings, but this time I'd like to say a few words about this image. Delfina is a character I have created, who is not my daughter in the strict sense, it is rather a sort of her "painterly" alter-ego. In this image one can see her world, the nature where she plays, the things that catch her attention, both small and big (the size is unrealistic because proportionned to her degree of interest), and also , as it's typical in childhood, there is no distinction between reality and her dreams --her passion for balloons evolves further in her fantasy to travel by air (the glasses) maybe even as a little captain; and around her are other, real or imagined (or simply "revisited") companions (i.e. the butterflies/faeries). Behind you have a tuscan landscape, like where we live, but elements in the middle have also a link to another place I adore, Sardinia (this was not conscious on my part, it was a sardinian friend who nothed this). In fact artichoques (which she likes to eat even raw, right from the garden), escargots (snails) and those dry plants (don't know the name in english) are also significant sardinian presences.