About the Artist

A native of Minnesota, T. J. Rajala is an emerging artist who first connected with art in the fall of 2014, after her children no longer required her hockey mom transportation skills.  With time suddenly available, she was introduced to painting through a Community Education course she had been eyeing for a decade.   During the second class, people began circling around her, questioning if she had prior formal training.   Encouraged by viewer reactions, T. J. Rajala practiced painting in her spare time.  Mid-pandemic, at age 52, she had an overwhelming urge to return to college to pursue an Associate of Fine Arts degree, as a means of preparing for her retirement career.  Now retired from her 30 year business career and with her A.F.A. studies completed in 2024, she enjoys having time to fully pursue her passion for art.  Her focus is mainly paintings in acrylic, oil, and watercolor; capturing modern day scenes of North America. 

As of February 2026, she maintains a permanent exhibit in an office complex in Blaine, MN.  Her first featured artist show, Deja Vu, was at the 210 Gallery and Art Center in Sandstone, MN late 2024.  Their hours are Saturday & Sunday Noon to 3 PM.  

Her work is in private collections across the U.S. 

Follow me on Instagram @tjrajalafineart