About the Artist

A native of Minnesota, T. J. Rajala first connected with art in the fall of 2014 after her children no longer required her hockey mom transportation skills.  With time suddenly available to use as she pleased, she attended a Community Education art course she had been eyeing for nearly a decade.   During the second class, people began circling around her painting, questioning if she had any prior formal training.   Encouraged from that point forward by viewer reactions and business colleagues, T. J. Rajala practiced painting in her free time.  Mid-pandemic while alone for a weekend, she awoke on a Sunday morning with an overwhelming urge to return to college to pursue an Associate of Fine Arts degree as a means of preparing for her retirement career.  With her A.F.A. studies nearly complete, her art has expanded to include: sculpture; drawings in graphite, colored pencil, charcoal, and Conte crayon; and paintings in acrylic, oil, and watercolor.  

 

Artist Statement – T J Rajala

 My work provides an escape from our hectic, modern lives – evoking feelings of peace, serenity, joy, and sometimes surprise.  Mostly derived from my personal experiences, my art captures moments in time.  Through precision and vivid details, I emphasize the beauty and hope that abounds within our world.  Crafted with care, I strive to have each piece appreciated as much for its craft as for its design.  In a world where everything and everyone is rushed, my compositions will take you to a place of solace and comfort – an oasis of tranquility to return to time and again.