DeGrazia paintings exhibited a passion for the creation of art depicting the lives and lore of the Sonoran Desert natives. An encounter with muralist Diego Rivera in 1942 led to an internship under Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco. The two Mexican masters then sponsored a solo exhibition of DeGrazia paintings at the prestigious Palacio de Bellas Artes.

In 1944, Ted bought an acre of land at Prince Road and Campbell Avenue to build his first adobe studio. This was after Tucson galleries showed no interest in exhibiting DeGrazia paintings. It was in this studio where he met Marion Sheret and subsequently married her in the jungles of Mexico in 1947.

Ted established the DeGrazia Foundation to ensure the permanent preservation of DeGrazia paintings for future generations. This was an afterthought after he decided to set 100 of his paintings ablaze in 1976 as a protest to the inheritance taxes set on works of art. This infamous event became part of Ted's art legacy.

Munch paintings played a great role in German expressionism, as well as the art form that later followed. This role is attributed to the strong mental anguish that was displayed in many of the pieces Edvard Munch created. Part of the reason for the deeper tone Munch paintings took was due to the mental illness his father suffered.

The term given to the style of Munch paintings was Symbolism. They were expressions of a personal sense of art, instead of an external view. They were representations of the inward feelings and repressed emotions of Edvard. In short, what you get is not what you actually see, when it comes to Munch paintings.

Munch paintings depicted the darker side of art. Tones and shadows were used to depict the emotions the images were feelings, seemingly coming from the deep seating feelings Edvard tended to keep inside himself. This style of painting was considered to be a prelude to the German expressionistic movement, which came out with its own dark pieces.