Farm to Easel

Je’ Czaja-Mordon’s creativity and passion for art echo throughout her work.

The winner of the CEO award at the 29th annual Westminster Communities Foundation Resident Art Show, Czaja-Mordon, who lives at Westminster Gardens in Tallahassee, was once a farm girl.

Her grandfather, a Polish immigrant, bought land in America after escaping a life of slavery in his homeland. Later, her father bought a 100-acre farm next door. There, she grew up with four brothers and got to know her 12 boy cousins.

While many children her age yearned for a shiny city lifestyle, Czaja-Mordon was content to draw the animals in her backyard. Rather than pitying herself as a child with no toys, Czaja-Mordon enjoyed a world that “was filled with toys, and they were all free.”

Czaja-Mordon’s home is brimming with art, from various multimedia projects to her paintings. Photo by Erich Martin

Her love for life on the farm influenced her art from a young age. Her father gifted her blunt carpenter pencils, not an artist’s tool of choice, but she nonetheless began to draw the life she saw around her. To her, no two animals looked the same.

Czaja-Mordon was 7 before she discovered that pencils could be sharp. Now, she could capture what she saw in minute detail.

Today, some of Czaja-Mordon’s favorite subjects are found in the natural world. Working from items as modest as sticks, she breathes life into everything she creates. Her Westminster prizewinning painting depicts a manatee.

Czaja-Mordon received a classical education at Ringling College of Art and Design. As an artist, she combines her knowledge of traditional approaches with her love for the avant-garde.

Startled Armadillo by Czaja-Mordon. Photo by Erich Martin

Her colorful art is a reflection of who she is. Czaja-Mordon’s apartment is filled with plants nestled in painted gourds. Butterflies float down from her ceiling as parts of a baby’s mobile she made by hand. Art created from clay, resin, acrylics, oils and even trash litter the room. Each piece is an embodiment of her belief that creativity has the power to restore the soul.

“We’re here to enjoy this life, and whatever gift you have, it’s unique to you,” Czaja-Mordon said. “There’s never been anybody like you; there never will be.”

Czaja-Mordon uses her gifts to help others find joy by teaching art classes. Part of the class is reserved for quiet time that allows her students to forget about their everyday stressors and find peace in creating art.

“When you’re in the flow, not worrying about the electrical bill or pain in your knees, it relaxes you, and that’s important for your health,” she said.

To see more of Je’ Czaja-Mordon’s art, visit: Roadupward.life