The film "Inocente" based on San Diego teen Inocente Izucar’s true life story took home an Oscar a little more than a week ago.
Now 19-year-old Izucar is dealing with a sudden rise to stardom.
She’s been so busy she's hardly had time to just let it all sink in. But she said the exposure has been all positive, not to mention life-changing and the attention has put her art in high demand.
Several of Izucar’s paintings have attracted a wait list of people around the world hoping to buy her work.
“It feels really good of course,” Izucar told NBC 7. “You know I don't want people to think that I'm like rich because I'm not."
But with some pieces selling from $25 to $5,000, the she can now support herself in her very own apartment.
“I adopted two bunnies,” she said. “It's a place of my own it's my own home so it is nice it's been life changing the whole experience."
Izucar even launched her own website called Inocente Art, where fans can buy her pieces. She donates 30 percent of the proceeds to ARTS: A Reason to survive. It's the National City nonprofit where art became her outlet.
“They basically saved my life and I've been here forever and I plan to stay here for a long time so it's nice to be able to help the way they helped me,” she said.
The City of San Diego will also honor Izucar for overcoming adversity by proclaiming March 26 as "Inocente Day."
It's the kind of story you only see in films, the kind that wins an Academy Award, and the kind of story that gives this once homeless teenager the chance to share her passion with the rest of the world.
“And sometimes it makes people happy and I think that's the biggest thing for me,” she said. “If it makes them happy, I did my job as an artist as you know touching someone through my art.”
