NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world. "I represent beautiful guppies that swim happily in the river," Mahmud says. "The colors perfectly represent these nice fish." His underwater portrait is dazzling in its detail and realism. Artisan Info: Mahmud is a young painter from East Java who has lived in Bali for several years. Painting has been his hobby since he was a child. "I moved to Bali to get more experience," he says. "Life has been really tough. To be able to live and to buy painting materials, I had to sell soup and meatballs from a pushcart on the street from morning until late evening. Sometimes I'd earn enough money for the day but other times I wouldn't. "To improve my life, I decided to pay more attention to my painting. I started to paint and sell my work in galleries. "Most of my paintings depict the arwana or dragon fish. I am fascinated with this particular fish because it is a symbol of prosperity. We believe it to bring success to the owner and, hopefully, it will bring good luck for me."