Price Seniors Center

This beautiful porcelain pitcher was hand-painted by Leona Julian, who has donated it to the Price Seniors Center.  It will be sold at Silent Auction to support our second floor renovations.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:  LEONA JULIAN

Leona started taking oil painting lessons at the age of 9.  In her later years as a young adult she taught oil painting for 9 years, thinking she would never learn enough to teach china painting. Leona’s father saw her artistic talents even as a child and he bought her a kiln when she was only 11 years old and it still works!

Leona’s oil painting teacher, Nelly Benn Young, did some ceramics on the side and had some ceramic doll heads.  The original owner of the Little China Shop in Sweetwater, Texas sold ceramic supplies and found china paint so that her students could paint the faces of the doll heads.  She and 4 other ladies found a china-painting teacher 1 1⁄2 hours away in San Angelo, Texas.  The group took lessons, and then taught others what they had just learned.

Eventually, Merle Allen, the ‘ceramic lady’ switched over to china, china painting supplies and had a studio for them to take weekly lessons from a traveling teacher from Midland, Texas.    So, even though Leona continued to take the oil painting lessons, she also began to china paint on porcelain.  Her teacher eventually only taught china painting and still took lessons for over 20 years.   Leona has taught locally as well as traveling seminars for about 30 years and is still a much sought after artist and teacher.

Leona had a gift shop and china-painting studio for a number of years and later bought the Little China Shop.  This shop supplied painters over 40 years before she purchased it and shipped porcelain and supplies throughout the states as well as several foreign countries.  Leona owned this shop until her husband’s work changed to Austin in 1990.  He worked for the jail commission in Texas for many years.

Leona has served as president of local clubs in San Marcos, Austin and as well as our State Federation of Porcelain Artists of Texas and positions for China Painting Teachers of Texas.

She is also a church organist and is serving in that capacity for First Baptist Church in San Marcos.  She has often said that she also loves music and would have a most difficult time if she had to choose between art and music.  Hopefully she will never have to choose!  She is a kind and generous lady and artist and has and continues to help and inspire everyone in both art and music.

By:     Mary Causey
          River Valley Porcelain Art Club