JULIANA COLES OCTOBER 2026
$699.00
- Registration Open – Limited to 12
- Instructor: Juliana Coles
- Dates: October 9-11
- Materials: Listed on Registration Page
- Cost – $699
- Read Studio Policies HERE
- No Coupons or discounts
12 in stock
Description
Paint it True with Juliana Coles
Picture the stories waiting to be told and the artwork ready to surface once you unlock your authentic voice in Paint it True. Artist Juliana Coles guides you through a courageous creative journey that begins with transforming a “found” book and leads into the raw, revealing terrain of the Artist’s Journal. From there, you’ll gather your most meaningful images and weave them into a powerful, cohesive mixed-media painting. No experience is needed—only an open heart and a willingness to explore.
You’ll dive into Juliana’s visual journaling process, discovering your own personal signs and symbols as you blend imagery, writing, and mixed-media materials into a book of self-discovery. No reference photos required, no advanced techniques—just simple tools, curiosity, and permission to experiment as you expand your visual and written vocabulary. Everyone carries a story as compelling as any epic; in this workshop, you’ll unearth your own legend and bring it into the light.
Every participant receives a collectible handbook that includes all assignments from the weekend.
Workshop Schedule:
Friday, Day 1:
- 9:00 – 4:00 - Workshop
- Altered books - Altering a book from cover to cover. Beginning with a found book (See video for choosing a book above), day 1 focuses on structure and artist book techniques such as adding pages, hinging in ephemera, creating ‘sleeves,’ attaching tabs, pockets and fold-ins. Each technique adds an element of surprise, mystery and interest to the book. In day 1 we fully alter and restructure this book from cover to cover creating a work of art in itself - an artist book. But we don’t stop there- we use this Altered Book (an altered book is a sub-category of artist books) as our Artist Journal, our companion, a sketchbook, notebook, mixed media playground full of ideas, images, words and compositions! Everything you need for pure expression is in this book! This is our starting point!
Saturday, Day 2:
- 9:00 – 4:00 - Workshop
- Visual Journaling - Utilizing the foundation of the Altered Book, we move from structure to process through Juliana’s Visual Journaling techniques. By combining text with images in the safe container of a precious book, we expose personal signs and symbols that become our unique archive or cache of images to be used in creating a soulful painting. In the Artist’s Journal, we ask ourselves questions about the nature of our artwork and expression, investigate what we truly want to do with our art, and even muse over possibilities for a series. In this workshop we strive for joy, fulfillment, achievement, and the supreme heart’s ease that comes from authentic artistic expression. This is not about impressing our imagined audience. This is about cultivating a true voice, which takes time. We will not discover this in only one weekend, but we will be well on the path towards finding out who we are as artists, and what we need to say.
Sunday, Day 3:
- 9:00 – 4:00 - Workshop
- Mixed-Media Painting - Utilizing a variety of transferring methods, we copy potent images and words from our Artist Journal pages to our gessoed 18” x 18” cradled panel painting. These rough shapes and outlines are used to develop our narrative as we continue to add mixed media layers. We are guided every step of the journey, and through this guidance, realize and claim our own methods of expression.
VIDEO ON GATHERING SUPPLIES
This video will share more information on the recommended supplies to gather for the workshop.
VIDEO ON TABULATION
This video will share more information on creating tabs for your altered books.
Registration is Open! Limited to 12 Students!
October 9-11, 2026
MEET JULIANA COLES
Juliana Coles, award winning visual artist, received her BFA from San Francisco’s Academy of Art University in 1992. Based on her artistic practice, Juliana developed “Visual Journaling,” an expressive arts technique for the Epilepsy Society of San Francisco in 1992. This methodology, which accesses archetypal signs and symbols from the unconscious for transformation and healing, is now used by art therapists, teachers, artists, and professionals around the world.
Juliana’s art is featured in over 30 publications and, as part of the “1000 Journals Project,” her work was exhibited at the SFMOMA. Juliana has taught Visual Journaling since 1997 throughout the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, Greece, Ecuador, Egypt, Austria, and Portugal.
Juliana created original works for the television series “Longmire” and “Roswell,” and in 2014 self-published “Ghost Pirate; the Legend of Juana La Loca,” illuminating grief and loss. Coles has expanded her practice through artist residencies at Green Olive Arts in Morocco and Otis College of Art and Design in LA.
Coles’ awards include the Clark Hulings Foundation fellowship, the Andy Warhol Foundation Grant for the Visual Arts, the New Mexico Purchase Award and most recently, Juliana is a 2022–2024 recipient of Albuquerque’s Urban Enhancement Trust Fund. Currently, Juliana is at work on a traveling exhibition that combines historical research with visceral mixed media portraits to present “Pirate Queens; Piracy is a Feminist Act.”
STUDIO INFORMATION
Studio Address
145 W. Main St., Suite 110
Tustin, CA 92780
**Park in parking lot or on the street.
Airport and Hotels
If you are flying in, the closest airport to the studio is Santa Ana - John Wayne Airport. It is about 5 miles away from the studio, with several hotels nearby as well. Our clients' favorite hotels are listed below.
Budget friendly and near the freeway
People LOVE staying in Newport Beach, at hotels or airbnbs. It is about 20 minutes from the studio via uber/car. There are also several Airbnb's closer to the studio, as well!
***there are hotels closer to the studio, but several that I DO NOT recommend. If you have questions about hotels, please reach out to me at karabullockart@gmail.com.
Workshop Policies: Due to limited class size, payment is non-refundable, but is transferable ONLY if the workshop sells out. If you purchase a workshop and are unable to attend, AND if there is a wait list for the course, we will offer your spot to a person on the wait list. If someone on the wait list is able to take your spot, we will reimburse you your tuition, minus a $75 admin fee for handling the replacement. If you are unable to attend the workshop, and the workshop has not sold out with a wait list, we will not be able to refund your purchase.
***These policies also apply to a Zoom workshop.
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