Monroe artist's works on display in Milltown Retiree finds creative side with original and interpretive pieces BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer JEFF GRANIT staff Necati Itez greeted members of the public at the opening of his exhibition at the Milltown library. The exhibition is Itez's first solo show. MILLTOWN - Necati Itez has been retired for 10 years, yet some would say he is just getting started. The former textile and interior designer worked in the field for over 35 years, but began creating works of art only a year ago. "I'm old, but I'm very young in the field," Itez said. The Milltown Public Library is the location of Itez's first solo exhibition, which started Tuesday and will run through the end of the month. Itez has shown his work in group exhibitions at Monroe's Clearbrook adult community, where he lives. He also is a member of the Art Appreciation group there. Itez noted there are many artists at Clearbrook, and his friends from the community came out to support him at a reception Tuesday marking the opening of his exhibition. "I never realized, in this tiny community, that you'd have an organization like that. I think it's an excellent club," Itez said. JEFF GRANIT staff Cynthia Bloom, a fellow resident of Monroe's Clearbrook community, came out to support her friend at the opening of his exhibition. Itez moved to America from Turkey 40 years ago and lived with his wife, Asiyet, in Bergen County during most of that time. Two years ago, they moved to Monroe to be closer to their daughter, Berna Gerdes, who lives in Princeton. Their other daughter, Arda Itez, lives in Paramus. He started to paint after taking a drawing class at Clearbrook with local artist Debbie Waldman. Waldman, a South Brunswick resident, teaches art at the high school there. "I didn't do anything until I met Debbie. She gave me a life. She wound me up. I'm so grateful to her," Itez said. Since then, he has been tapping into his creative juices and drawing from various influences to form his own new interpretations. Some of the paintings on display in Milltown pay homage to such artists as Matisse, Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh, with Itez injecting his personal touch. One such work was a rendition of Claude Monet's "Sunflowers." Itez also takes artistic risks with his original ideas, as in the notable painting "Popcorn Monument." For this work, Itez photographed a kernel of popcorn, and blew up the photo to three times its original size. He then painted the resulting image, which bore a resemblance to the profile of a man. While Itez said that, at first, no one in his art class took the work seriously, he did not let that deter him. When he showed the finished product to the class, they were awed by it. It is one of his favorite and perhaps most unusual paintings. "Anything can inspire. An artist sees things with a different eye than an ordinary person. While you might see a beautiful house, I want to see a broken-down shack," he said. Itez does not limit himself to any one mode of creation, shifting between pencil, pen, watercolor and acrylic where he sees fit. He explained that his ideas come easily, and he dives into the work without looking back. "When I start, I just go easily and happily. If I have a mistake, I sit down and correct that until I'm happy. Art needs patience, and young artists should realize that," said Itez. For Itez, patience seems to be paying off. Aside from the joy he gets from creating art, he also receives financial rewards for his work. The works he considers his best have all sold, including an impressionist painting of the Statue of Liberty, his granddaughter's hands playing piano, and a Dali-influenced rendition of an ant. At the opening day of his exhibition, he also sold three pieces. With several upcoming shows being planned in Monroe and Cranbury, the fledgling artist seems to be gaining fast recognition. "I'm working hard, and I feel I'm getting better and better. Basically, you're working to make people happy, and you get satisfaction from this," Itez said.