America turns 250 on July 4. There will be parades and picnics, fireworks and nationwide festivities, and special exhibits to mark the momentous occasion. Locally Gardner artist Paul Gaj has created a special painting for the 250th Celebration of America and has a solo showing at The Village Artist at The Boulder Art Gallery in Fitchburg.
Eye on Art recently caught up with Gaj to discuss his art and experiences that led him to become an artist.
Eye: Talk about yourself and your art- school and experiences.
Gaj: At age 7 or 8, I started painting on blank white paper with drug store watercolor kits. A very safe and economical choice for a young artist. The paper came from the local newspaper where my father worked. They were small cutoffs from the news, and I had as much as I wanted to scribble and paint on. Being an artist wasn’t the profession my Catholic parents encouraged. I pursued drawings and art when I could but also had a keen interest in architecture and design. I majored in Drafting and Architecture in High School. They were respectable occupations, and I got the support I needed to apply to Art & Design Schools. I applied to Columbia for Architecture, RISD for Design and the New England School of Art & Design for art. To my joy, I was accepted into the New England School of Art & Design in Boston in 1972 and loved it. They taught a foundation curriculum that exposed me to almost every facet I was interested in. I never had full, formal painting classes. Drawing, yes. Didn’t matter though. I transferred to UMASS Dartmouth because my folks were convinced a degree was more valuable than 3 years of art school. I dropped out after a year and a half. Couldn’t do the liberal arts part. I moved back to Connecticut where I started painting in Mystic. Beautiful and inspirational and so New England. I truly touched on the term “Starving Artist” there. Don’t get me wrong. I had shows and commissions, but not enough for a couple to survive on. I was hired as the first Lead Graphic Designer for the Mystic Marinelife Aquarium. I opened my graphics studio in Mystic. I ended up art directing and designing for Thermos, General Electric, Pepsi and the Mystic Seaport Museum. I moved to the Boston area with wife 2. I became the Art Director for one of the top Technology Ad Agencies in the Northeast. We served clients like Xerox, NYNEX, (Verizon) and others. Recession hit. Started freelancing from our new home in Groton. Worked for every major tech start-up along Routes 128 and 3. Recession Hit. Hired as art director for deluxe catalog company. Creative Director for a $750M HR Company. Recession hit. BP Oil Spill. Went to the Gulf of Mexico and illustrated and wrote a book about the event. Economy picked up. More design work. Recession hit. Moved to Gardner. Rebuilt fixer upper. COVID hit. Learned laser cutting. Built an art studio and started painting again around 5 years ago. Joined galleries and associations and entered juried exhibitions. I began working with palette knives on canvas. Since 2025, I have had paintings showing in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island galleries and shows.
Eye: How did it feel preparing a work for the country‘s 250th?
Gaj: The painting was an add-on to the original show. About 3 weeks before the show, it was suggested that I create a painting commemorating the 250th Celebration of America and that tying it into my “View” would be a great idea. When I was asked to create a piece that commemorates America’s 250th Birthday Celebration, I struggled with the approach I might take. “Something Patriotic would be nice.” I decided to go with America the Beautiful because America is Beautiful. I have been lucky enough to see much of this beautiful country up close. Spacious Skies, Amber Waves of Grain, Purple Mountains Majesty; it’s all here in my painting. It’s obvious what’s not here. I hope we survive where we are and can bring back some of that Brotherhood, From Sea to Shining Sea.
I have always been passionate about the Policies, the People, and the Possibilities America represents. The results of my projects need not be for profits, (and I can assure you I have not become rich from any of these endeavors), I hope my vision, my efforts, and my perspective make an impression, or a spark for the viewer to take action, or at least become more aware of each event or cause.
Eye: Other works in the exhibit?
Gaj: Many of the titles of the paintings in my current show at the Boulder Art Gallery in Fitchburg are obvious New England locations — Kennebunkport, Chatham, Folly Cove, Salt Pond and Nauset. Other titles are more ethereal yet still hold a sense of the sea and the land here — Out by the Dunes, Estuary, Winter Cove, Off the Ragged Coast. If you look at the exhibition, you can almost hear the wind and smell the surf. And, because of my abilities with the palette knife, you can literally feel the rocky edge of Maine. As a working artist, I hope to see my works purchased by interested collectors. I also would encourage anyone in the gallery to stop in and view my work along with the work of so many other talented local artists.
Eye: Is there anything else you want to share with readers?
Gaj: I’m available for commissioned pieces and can be contacted directly. For more information or to see additional works, please visit artbypaulgaj.com or contact him at: [email protected]
Nancye Tuttle’s email address is [email protected].
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