With his exquisite eye for detail and a gift for bringing to life the elements of the world in his paintings, Canonsburg artist James Sulkowski has made a name for himself locally and throughout the world as a premiere artist.
      As owner of Sulkowski Fine Art Gallery in downtown Canonsburg and James Sulkowski's Art Studio in Houston, Sulkowski has been painting professionally for 30 years. His collection of artwork includes his captivating still lifes, landscapes, murals and portraits of various subjects from ordinary people working in a restaurant to the beauty of the outdoors.

Sulkowski says he has had many people pose for his portraits.

      "I've had models come to sit for me, either they were friends or professional models," he said. "Sometimes I would get senior citizens to come and pose."

      The 1969 Canon-McMillan High School graduate, who mastered his first oil painting at 10 years old, studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia before attending Carnegie Mellon University. From there, Sulkowski moved to New York City where he took classes at the Art Students League of New York.
Sulkowski lived in New York City for 20 years where he opened a studio in Manhattan. Because he wanted to raise a family, he decided to return to Canonsburg.

      Sulkowski is also a known sculptor. In 1987, Sulkowski was commissioned by Tito Capobianco and the Pittsburgh Opera to sculpt a bronze bust of opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti. Eight years earlier, Sulkowski, along with his twin brother, Joseph, was commissioned by Saudi Arabian government to paint two murals depicting the Scientific and Mathematical Achievements of the Saudi Arabians and the Ikhwan Revolt of 1929. Completed in 1980, the two large canvases are now hanging in the King Abdul Aziz Naval Museum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Sulkowski's successful career as an artist has won him many awards, including the Helen DeCozen Award for best floral painting in the American Artists Professional League 64th Grand National.

      Now Sulkowski is sharing his enthusiasm for art with others in the community and around the world by conducting workshops in Houston and across the nation. Holding his workshops about 10 weeks a year, Sulkowski's workshops are open to everyone eager to learn about the craft of painting. Sulkowski provides different workshops in landscape painting, classical still life and floral painting, and classical portrait and figural painting.