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Emily Czaja (1922 - 2013 )
Emily Czaja is one of the few people who can claim to be a
life-long native of Bellport, Long Island, since most of Bellport's residents
are transplants from Manhattan, other Long Island towns, or far away
places. She is also one of
Long Island's overlooked artists, a self-taught, natural master with a pen, as
her hand glides effortlessly across a page creating intricate illustrations of
Long Island landscapes as well as fanciful images drawn straight from her own
inventiveness. In addition to her
fantastic pen and ink drawings, she is also a distinguished watercolorist,
proficiently melding colors and ink to create gorgeous still lifes and
landscapes.
As a youngster of 10, Emily was always drawing. Her father
was a "designer," which back at in the early 20th century meant that
he designed and painted the interiors of luxurious homes. These are not the simple paint jobs we
are accustomed to seeing in modern homes, but involved the hand-drawn filigree
and ornate decoration we admire in historical estates. Her Uncle Charlie was a draftsman who
worked in Brooklyn. While visiting
Uncle Charlie on the weekends involved a 5-hour car ride from Bellport to
Brooklyn back in those days, her family was close, and they made the trip
often. He used colored
pencils in his work and when they wore down, he’d give them to Emily. During her entire childhood, she was
surrounded by artistic and creative figures who inspired her, instilling an
interest in drawing and coloring pictures.
Later at Bellport High School, Emily took all the art
classes she could and had great teachers.
She was surrounded by artistic peers, studying with George Tooker, who
would go on to become one of the most celebrated of the Magic and Social
Realism painters. As a young lady,
she was asked to create many of the posters for school and church events,
projects which she would continue to accept throughout her long life in
Bellport. After graduation, Emily
continued taking lessons from various local artists and teachers, and
experimenting with different drawing styles and mediums, including stained
glass pieces and lamp shades.
A turning point came later after Emily was married. A local
artist and friend, Jodie Love, knew the great watercolor artist, Ed Whitney and
arranged for him to give some lessons during the summer. Emily was hooked! It was with watercolor that she found
her niche. She began exhibiting her paintings around the South Shore of Long
Island at many art associations, churches, banks, and libraries. She won countless awards for her
art-show entries. As one of the
original members of the South Bay Art Association and her membership in the Wet
Paints of Sayville, Emily met Henry Fukuhara, another important artist, who
influenced her artistic style.
She, and her artistic peers, painted all over the North and South Shores
of Long Island. Like the artist
colonies before them, they also took group trips to New England, including
Rockport and many seaside destinations in Connecticut and Massachusetts to
sketch and paint.
Emily is an avid golfer and has been a fixture at the
Bellport Golf and Country Club for many years. Her art work was selected to grace the Woman's Golf League's
annual fundraising calendar many times.
She also published a number of coloring books based on her whimsical
designs. For years, Emily was
Bellport's official historian, a volunteer position, because of her intimate,
enduring knowledge of the area and its many residents.
At 90, she continues to draw and paint, filling countless
sketch books with her musings. Her
art is highly collectible and graces the walls of many Bellport and area
residences. She also continues to
teach art.