Like many kids, Autumn de Forest liked to draw with crayons and markers as a toddler. One day, when she was 5, she saw her dad staining a piece of wood in the garage. It looked like fun, so she asked him if she could join in. From an extra piece of wood and some stain, she created a work of art that stunned her parents. Soon she was wowing others­—Autumn won her first art competition when she was 6. “I started and my imagination just let go,” Autumn told TFK.

By the time she was 7, Autumn was attracting attention from art lovers at home and abroad. Her work has been displayed in galleries across the country. Her paintings sell for as much as $25,000. Now 11, Autumn mostly creates large-scale oil paintings.  “My paintings are a lot bigger than me,” she says. “And I love experimenting with all different kinds of things." Click through this slide show to see some of her work.

A special tribute painting by Autumn de Forest to support those affected by Hurricane Sandy, shown on the artBOX installation, in Wildwood, New Jersey.

Dripping Summer, by Autumn de Forest, from 2012

Autumn de Forest calls this self-portrait from 2009 Autumn Rose.

American Graphic, by Autumn de Forest, is based on Grant Wood’s American Gothic.