Beware of this one! I wish I could express the excellence that some described here because, in my 40 years of being involved in professional arts as a certified art educator and gallery owner, this was the most ill-planned workshop I have ever encountered. When we placed the deposit she wanted to know our level of experience so she could adjust the workshop accordingly. She knew we were experienced certified art educators yet she taught elementary level color wheel information. She picked us up at Ghost Ranch in a car that was messy, dirty, and barely had room for us to sit. We crammed ourselves into her back seat and were cautioned not to sit on her eggs. She was afraid we would be kicked out of Ghost Ranch...something about she didn't get permission to teach there. She panicked when a proprietor approached her, but we were fine there. We expected to be taken to the plein air workshop to participate, and she drove around so we could select an area. Then we had to tote all of her supplies to the site and help her set up and tear them down and tote them back to her car. I have a disability but did my best to make several trips across uneven surfaces. . I was concerned with the vague references to how much the workshop was. Something was said that made me think she was increasing the price and so I asked how much we owed her over the deposit. She said she was too busy to discuss that and later informed us that since there were only two of us that she was charging more for private lessons! And it was a LOT more. Also she expressed that it would be the same charge again the next day, when the understanding was that we were paying a one-time fee for two days. We didn't plan to go to the second one after the first-day experience so it didn't matter. We cancelled our second day. She was so afraid that we weren't going to pay what she became demanding. The lady needs to learn some tact....after she learns how to teach art. I can usually find something positive to say, so let me end here with despite the experience I loved seeing Ghost Ranch. read more

On Oct 17, 2010, at the Ghost Ranch outside Abiquiu, NM, my wife and I had the distinct pleasure of having one of the best art experiences of our lives. Local artist and instructor Jane Shoenfeld met us at the designated time and place and proceeded to open our eyes to the wonders of pastels and landscape. The location was a superb venue for plein air instruction. As my wife and I are at different artistic levels, Jane was able to instruct each one of us at our particular level. We found her to be the consummate teacher and professional. We each felt we had opened ourselves to a new medium and had received in such a short time an amazing amount of information. She actually extended the lesson past the 3 hours so that we could reach a point where we could finish our projects by ourselves. We both agree that our afternoon with Jane was inspiring and was one of the highlights of our trip to Santa Fe. Janey and Rick Pillsbury read more

I first became familiar with Jane through her art which she has shared generously in our community ever since arriving here well over 20 years ago. She donates her paintings to every worthy cause, in and out of town, with no thought to the enormous strain this must make on her expenses. As far as I have observed, her paintings always sell and benefit arts in the schools, the animal shelter, the Contemporary Center for the Arts, ad infinitum. I am a writer and several years ago I was at a one week workshop retreat at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico studying with the current poet Laureate of Santa Fe, Joan Logghe. Jane was conducting pastel workshops on that beautiful land. I do not know if it was Jane or Joan who dreamed up the idea, but one amazing afternoon they put our two groups together and the writers did paintings of their poems and the painters wrote poetry for their pieces. Although I have been in the art business most of my life, I was too intimidated to paint myself ("famous artist mother syndrome" is what I call it now). Jane, in her gentle, observant, aware manner put ALL of the poets at ease. It was a remarkable break through for me. I have been taking classes with her and painting independently ever since. I have observed her working with experienced professional artists as well as with those who have never held a pastel or anything other than a crayon in their hands before coming to Jane's classes. She seamlessly provides all of these different individual's with just the instruction they need and/or are ready for. She has been a true role model. I am still afraid to hang my work in the gallery (much to my husband's dismay), but I have followed in Jane's footsteps and regularly (and successfully!) donate all of my "decent" work. Additionally, I have visited Ms. Shoenfeld's studio a number of times and observed the phases her work has gone through, evolving from her early realistic work in the 80's to her unique blend of expressionism, abstraction and mixed media. Her work is clearly built on all that has gone before. She is a mature artist and is always enthusiastic in her own work, probably in part, because she keeps it fresh by allowing herself transitions and leaps. Personally, I would anticipate a stay in the environment you offer to instigate another creative passage for her. I will be looking forward to what comes next. I am in Jane's debt for the confidence she has given me as well as the skills she has taught me in a very difficult medium (pastel). I am pleased she trusted me enough to write this letter for her. read more

Ms Shoenfeld was paid a deposit of $50 as a down payment for a future art tutorial. The agreed upon out of doors location for the tutorial was agreed to, Ms. Shoenfeld showed up 12 to 15 minutes late. During the landscape session a person walking down a path stopped to talk to Shoenfeld and asked questions about what we were doing. The person received information from Shoenfeld re her business, told Shoenfeld that she too was art instructor and now works at the Zen center at the same location. There conversation was distracting and should not have been allowed while Shoenfeld was being paid to instruct me. This session was a gift from my daughter who had given me a signed check for the balance. The session was to be from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. I was shocked to hear the balance of this nearly non-instruction was $200. I wrote in the amount and made contact w/ her within an hour after the session to discuss my coming to her studio later that day as she had mentioned that we should have had the session at her studio. Shoenfeld then said there would be an additional $250 fee. My thought was that I had been seriously shortchanged. I did receive from her a small box of pastels and an odd assortment of Styrofoam popcorns, a piece of an eraser. Shoenfeld needs to come to a session with the intention of giving her student her undivided attention and not have conversations with whomever happens along--pushing her artwork, come on time, and do a far better job at initial interviews so that there is a better understanding of what she can accomplish. Also, as 1:00 p.m. approached this instructor packed up w/ all deliberate speed. One could receive far more instruction by purchasing a $9.95 video. read more