Testimonials | Juliana Crownover

What Juliana’s Students Are Saying

“Results-oriented techniques”

Juliana’s class was inspiring, challenging, and encouraging. I am more confident with color, light, composition, and perspective techniques due to Juliana’s straightforward and tactile teaching style. Sharing her most results-oriented techniques, she empowers her students to approach their work with individuality, renewed confidence, and fresh perspective. Juliana also infused personal narratives about her artistic practice, gave hands on demonstrations, and exposed us to traditional and contemporary approaches to image making. She meets each individual where they are and successfully teaches beginning students to advanced level artists with grace and enthusiasm.

-Colleen McCormick Metzger

“I created work that holds the eye”

I have several of my pastels up in my house, and I am so touched to hear reactions of friends and family who visit. Some of the magic of Ghost Ranch seems to come through! I loved the pacing, was complimented by the direct, full instructions that really helped me think about composition, something I don’t think I’ve received instruction on before. With your help, I created work that holds the eye. I am thrilled. As a lover of rich color, my heart opened as I was able to explore, take chances, be bold with color and texture. You fed my explorations and confidence and I had a sense of freedom I treasure remembering.

Thanks so much for offering your expertise, your love of the process of creating, and your openness to me and the class.

-Ava Stanton

“Pushed and expanded my artistic abilities”

Doing art with such an inspiring and talented and good spirited group was truly a joy for me! Juliana, you have been the best, in many ways. I have learned a lot from you and so admire your passion and skill as an artist in your own right. I found each of the three classes that I attended to push and expand my artistic abilities AND I thoroughly enjoyed all of the plein air and outings that the classes engaged in.

-Jenny Purcell

“I learned to force myself to sketch first”

I enjoyed painting outdoors and felt I channeled Georgia O’Keefe a little bit. I loved bonding with the other painters and I think my painting improved. I learned to use white to make far off depth. I learned to think more about value. I learned to force myself to sketch first. I connected to an inner mediation appreciating the landscape of the desert.

-Patricia

“Cares about her students and their growth as artists”

This class is a joy, whether you are a beginner or an experienced pastel painter. There is a good balance of instruction and painting. Juliana cares about her students and their growth as artists. Her coaching is very helpful.

-Barney

“Brings out the best in each of us”

I thought our course at Ghost Ranch was a perfect amount of instruction, Plein air, and studio time. There was plenty of time to work. The field trips were inspiring and gave us the opportunity to organize our materials to travel. I loved your choices of locations even though painting at Ghost House was so special! I learned more about perspective, value and color! Thank you for working with me on the Value Viewer. It has helped me using the grid and getting the dark values in place. Great tool! We had a wonderful group of artists in our class. I hope my path will cross theirs in the future! Thanks for bringing out the best in each of us. We all were unique in our paintings. Looking forward to taking another course from you! Your passion for art is contagious!

-Debbie Gatlin Adams

“Recommend to anyone wanting to tap into their creativity and curiosity”

Painting the Painted Desert workshop with Juliana was such an uplifting and wonderful experience! Highly recommend to anyone wanting to tap into their creativity and curiosity, with soul elevating beauty surrounding you in every direction. Great people. Great place. Great experience.

-Andrea Turner

“Everyone grows as an artist”

If you’re looking for a pastel landscape workshop geared at beginning to intermediate levels, you will find no better than the one Juliana Crownover teaches at Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico. High energy, high enthusiasm and highly encouraging are three attributes that characterize Mrs. Crownover. She interweaves her desire to help each student develop to her maximum potential with a well-designed curriculum, covering pastel skills, composition, color and personal expression. She strikes a good balance between studio and plein air experiences, including two spectacular field locations. I cannot imagine how anyone could pack more learning into a five-day workshop. Her secret? She sets high expectations, holds students to them and interacts with them frequently, offering encouragement and suggestions. As a result, everyone grows as an artist. All this amid lovely red and ochre mountains dotted with green pines.

-Claude Cookman, Ph.D.

“Offers tips and suggestions that bring a distinctiveness to any work in progress”

Working and studying with Juliana is life changing! As she guides and nurtures every new experience, be it with pastels or oils, one begins to sense a creative “oneness” with both tool and medium. Her straight forward teachings on subject, value, shadow, light, and color offer an open-ended opportunity for the student’s exploration. Her gentle coaching evokes the heart of a lover of creation. She masterfully moves student into a place that allows unique vision for all that creation offers. As one attempts to capture moment and experience, Juliana offers tips and suggestions that bring a distinctiveness to any work in progress. Her sense of humor and deeply rooted wisdom serve to make time spent in her tutelage a treat for the soul!