About the artist
TJ DePaulis is a fine artist with a background in graphic design working in Charlotte, North Carolina. His work combines themes such as cityscapes, people, nature, typography, and texture, with the use of both traditional and digital media.
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Custom, oil painted portraits of loved ones and pets are projects TJ is often commissioned for.
His career started as a graphic designer in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he lived and worked for nearly five years before returning home to the metro Detroit area.
"Working as a graphic designer in Denmark has had a major influence on the way I paint and design today. Scandinavian design is a minimal, clean approach, which uses simple lines and light neutral palette. Characteristics that influence my fine art and graphic design today."
TJ continued his professional career in the graphic field for several more years working for a variety of Fortune 500 companies. In 2016 he began refocussing on his artistic practice.
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"Ever since middle school I have always loved to draw, sketch and simply doodle. Although I ended with a career in the commercial arts, my true passion has always been drawing and painting."
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TJ carries a bachelor degrees in both Interior Design and Graphic Communication. You will see these relationships married in his work with examples of architecture, crisp lines, bold color, symmetry, typography and open space.
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Each of TJ's digital art compositions starts with original photographs taken with his high resolution camera. They are then meticulously composed using industry standard graphic software on the computer. At this stage, the digital artwork is either printed and complete or printed and enhanced with oil or acrylic paint. Prints personally proofed, signed and sequentially numbered. Enhanced prints are by definition "one of a kind", therefore only signed. TJ uses only the highest quality printer, art papers and paints. Nothing short of museum quality will suffice.
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"Having the ability to create artwork digitally lets me utilize both my graphic design skills and drawing skills.
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