Coming Soon: Saturday Art Classes at Carlsbad Art Farm

Carlsbad Art Farm has made its reputation on our summer art camps. Many parents who have had their children come to Art Farm summer after summer have asked about ongoing art classes during the school year.

We are pleased to announce that starting in January, we will be offering 1.5 hour Saturday studio art classes with a concentration on drawing and painting. As with our summer program, students will work in our outdoor studios on our 10-acres woodland property near the Village of Carlsbad. For those of you who have been here, you know this is a unique and wonderful environment for children. For anyone who has not been to Art Farm, we invite you to come visit.

Our ongoing visual art program will be more comprehensive than our week-long summer programs. The education will be progressive, and will incorporate age-appropriate art history, education about the environment, and, using Heifer International classroom materials, we will incorporate how the gift or farm animals are useful to helping lift families and communities globally out of poverty. Students, through their artwork, will also have an opportunity to help raise funds to buy animals for these families.

At Art Farm, we take your student's visual literacy education seriously while keeping it fun and challenging at an age appropriate level. Middle school students will also learn about animal anatomy for artists and the elements of composition for artists. This is important but seldom taught to this age group. Composition is to picture-making what plot is to writing a story. Without it, there's really no story.

In drawing and painting with any level of sophistication, composition prioritizes everything from the most important to the least important elements. The ability to compose a picture that really communicates an artist's feelings and intentions is what separates the beginning from the more advanced student. It's also what keeps young artists intellectually engaged.

Our approach to instruction is to have students work with artists who are teachers in a studio setting where they learn to render from live animal model, natural settings, costumed models and other lively subjects. The setting and subject matter make art come alive for students, even those who say, "I can't draw. I'm no good." We keep the teacher-student ratio small, usually no more than 10 students per teacher.

We look forward to posting more information about our classes soon. We will also be offering after-school enrichment classes as our program develops. For more information on times, fees, and other information about our Saturday class, please contact Director Perrin Coman at director@carlsbadartfarm.com

ARTS: A Reason to Survive and Barrio Logan College Institute Visit Art Farm

A wonderful group of San Diego 5th-graders from ARTS: A Reason to Survive and Barrio Logan College Institute visited Art Farm yesterday for an afternoon of painting animals with Art Farm instructor Kris Finch; making nature journals; hugging alpacas; feeding chickens, and enjoying a BBQ in the woods. Both non-profit organizations support at-risk kids by providing free art instruction and educational mentoring.

Here's a little history on both organizations:

ARTS: A Reason to Survive was founded in 2001 by artist Matt D'Arrigo based on his philosophy that the artistic process can change and heal lives. From this modest beginning, ARTS has grown into a much larger organization with eight full-time staff members and a $950,000 annual budget. Talk about one dreamer making a difference!

ARTS provides free arts-based education programs to thousands of children "facing many types of life challenges" throughout San Diego County and at the Pat D'Arrigo ARTS Center in San Diego. As the ARTS website notes, many of the children and families served are facing some of life's toughest challenges: terminal or chronic illness; abuse and neglect; parents in the military serving overseas; physical, mental, behavioral, or emotional disabilities; self-image or self-esteem issues; parental divorce; substance abuse and recovery; gay and lesbian issues; socio-economic challenges, homelessness, and others.

Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI), located in Barrio Logan, San Diego, is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children by helping those "with the will, passion, and talent" go to college. BLCI provides free after-school mentoring and academic enrichment programs. Qualifying students must be a first-generation college-bound student. The program starts in 3rd-grade and continues through high-school. The program's goals are to:

• develop the sense of pride, worth, and self-esteem students need to be successful.
• support parent involvement in their children's educations.
• motivate students to excel academically and give back to their communities.
• educate families on how to gain access to college.
• and to achieve 100 percent college enrollment among it's students.

BLCI was founded in 1996 by Harvard graduate student (and Princeton alumnus) Kenny Rogers, who discovered that most college-track programs begin in middle or high school, by which time "to many students of color lack the fundamental skills to benefit from such programs." BLCI now has an annual $400,000 budget, a full-time staff of four and a part-time staff of seven. Graduating BLCI students have attended many well regarded colleges and universities, including Yale. Again, it's nice to be reminded that one individual who acts on an idea can move mountains.

Halloween Fun 2009

I'm trying to remember all the costumes my 10-year-old daughter, Emerson, has donned. I know the first was a pumpkin, when she was 8-months old. This was followed by a fuzzy bumble bee ensemble with bouncing antanae (she looked a bit like John Belucci in his bumble bee costume, only far cuter). Then came: a witch, a werewolf, Princess Jasmine, Hedwig the Harry Potter owl (not necessarily in that order). This year she was an "Evil Fairy", pictured here with her good friend, Sarah the Ghoul. This leaves four costumes I can't recall. We really do forget!

Happy Halloween: Tim Burton's Classic Frankenstein Spoof

Happy Halloween Everyone!

For those of you who have never seen Director Tim Burton's ("Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare Before Christmas", "Beetlejuice) 1984 short film "Frankenweenie", this might be the perfect Halloween treat.

The story follows the 1931 James Whale horror classic, with the twist that a young boy named Victor brings his dog, Sparky, back to life after an unfortunate incident in which Sparky is run over by a car (implied, not graphic; my 10-year old watched this film no problem and I'm picky about her seeing graphic violence on film. Also, it has a happy ending, Tim Burton style).

Produced by Disney Pictures, Frankenweenie was Burton's first film. The film, shot in glorious black-and-white is a parody/homage of the original "Frankenstein". Disney apparently fired Burton after it saw the film for wasting company resources and making a film too scary for young audiences (according to Wikipedia). Burton, of course, went on to become a much celebrated director and now Disney has hired him to remake the film as a 3-D stop-motion feature length film. Such is the life of an artist.

The 25-minute film features an early performance by Shelly Duvall, among other actors. You can see the entire short on youtube in 3-parts by Googling "Frankenweenie youtube". Watch the one that is in 3-parts.

If your a fan of classic James Whale horror films and/or a Burton fan, this is a real treat. If not, then just skip it.

Upcoming Composition for Artists Seminar: Nov. 21 & 22

Many artists - both amateur and professional - have difficulty with composition. In painting with any degree of sophistication, composition prioritizes everything from the most important to the least important elements in the work of art. In studio art, in animation, graphic novels or children's books, composition is content. The ability to compose a picture that really communicates an artist's feelings and intentions is the essential element separating the beginner from more advanced and professional artists.

This intensive, 2-Day, 18-hour Art Farm seminar on Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 21 & 22, with noted Art Center Professor Will Weston will help any visual artist with reasonable drawing skills. Using landscape as a starting point, this intensive and engaging seminar addresses issues faced when composing pictures by combining lively lectures, presentations, and demonstrations with drawing exercises that break down the three essential stages of composition.

Students will learn to create pictures with applications to studio art and illustration including landscape painting, composing for animation, children's books, and graphic novels. Examples of all are presented in detail. Students do short exercises to direct the eye, create depth, and establish mood and time of day. Students then draw a landscape composition under the direction of the instructor. Handouts provided will enable students to continue learning after the seminar.

Registration, Dates, location and Fees
When: Nov. 21 & 22, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily
Where: Carlsbad Art Farm in Coastal Carlsbad. Directions provided at time of registration
Who: Adults. Reasonable drawing skills are suggested.
Fee: $249/includes $100 non-refundable deposit at time of reservation. Class is limited to 20.
Discounts: A 10 % discount is available to currently enrolled students with valid student I.D.
To register: Contact director@carlsbadartfarm.com or call 760-688-6147.

About the Instructor:
Will Weston the worked for many studios including Disney Feature and Television Animation, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures. Will is a professor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he teaches life drawing, landscape composition, visual development for animation, and traditional and digital painting. Will is a gifted instructor known for his information-packed classes and workshops where he imparts information in a clear and user-friendly way. For more information visit WillWestonStudio.com.

About Carlsbad Art Farm: Art Farm is located on 10-acres of beautiful, creek-side property in Coastal Carlsbad, north San Diego County. It is open to children and adults for ongoing lessons, seminars, and workshops. For most current information, visit this blog frequently or sign-up for the email list. For general information and visuals of Art Farm, visit our website at CarlsbadArtFarm.com.

Art Farm Camp Opens for Encinitas School District Holiday

Hello Encinitas Parents! Welcome to the wonderful world of Carlsbad Art Farm.

Several of you have contacted Art Farm to see if we can run camps during the two-week school break starting next Monday. The answer is, Yes, we'd be delighted. The biggest problem at our end is that the Encinitas School District doesn't allow for profit businesses to reach parents through the school, so it's difficult for Art Farm to get the word out.

Our requirement to run camp is a minimum enrollment of 12 students. If you are interested, and know other parents who might be interested, we need to get people enrolled this week. For more information, contact Perrin Coman, director and owner of art farm, at: director@carlsbadartfarm.com or call 760-688-6147. Our website is currently being updated, but we recommend you visit to get an overview. Reviewing earlier posts at this blog from summer camp will provide great visuals of what camp looks like.

We can offer two one-week sessions at a special rate of $300 weekly. Discounts apply for multiple siblings. Students must currently be enrolled in second-grade or older. We recognize that these are hard financial times, so we can work with parents somewhat who can't afford full tuition. It's an honor system so please don't ask for a discount unless it really is a hardship.

Camp hours are 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. We can offer an extended day for for an additional fee. At Art Farm, we teach children how to draw and paint, make nature journals and animal soap (we have fun with many projects) in our outdoor studios on our private 10-acre woodland property in Carlsbad. We use live animal models and our beautiful habitat as sources of inspiration.

Law & Order: Special Doggy Crimes Unit

Here we feature our very own Hilda - protectress of all children and fuzzy green tennis balls - solving a crime scene in our drive way! (click image for larger view).

Hilda thinks the chickens may have done it; or perhaps the alpacas. Our mule, Picasso, could account for his whereabouts during the time-frame when the dastardly deed took place (he was guarding his hay rations from Kandinski, the goat).

Actually, this is a chalk outline of Hilda herself made while she was sleeping. The real crime is she was caught napping while she was on sentry duty. She'll be entering a flea bargain (feel free to groan at puns) with the mitigating circumstance that it was pretty darn hot that day and a nap was in order. As I'm the judge and jury on such matters - and a strong supporters of naps for everyone - Hilda's case was dismissed as a travesty of justice against all nappers.

Snakes are Cool!

Here's out daughter, Emerson, with a young Chocolate Banded California King Snake, we caught out back yesterday. Our dog, Skyler, found him slithering along and started furiously sniffing and wagging his stump of a tail. I put my booted foot lightly but firmly on the nape of the snake's neck (if snakes can be said to have "napes") while Emerson fetched her Dad, who came back with gloves. King snakes are harmless unless you happen to be a rodent (which is why we like King Snakes in the country). King Snakes also eat rattlesnakes.

Emerson named this one "Granger", after Hermione in the Harry Potter series. We kept him for the night and released him this morning into the hole of a very unfortunate gopher. I recall catching gopher snakes when I was kid on the farm, and that my dad was very fond of the snakes for the reason that they went after gophers.

By way of strong disclaimer: We don't recommend that kids go out and catch snakes in the backyard. SoCal is rattlesnake country and all snakes can bite (hence the large yellow heavy leather gloves). In the case of a King Snake, he might think your pinky finger is a feeder mouse. We knew what this fella was before we caught him.

Composition for Artists Seminar at Art Farm

Composition for Artists is an intensive 2-Day, 18-hour seminar with feature animation designer & Art Center Professor Will Weston (click on image for larger view).

When: Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 21 & 22.
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. each day.
Who: This seminar will benefit landscape painters, film and animation artists, graphic novelists, children's book illustrators and others. Reasonable drawing skills are suggested.
Fee: $249/$100 non-refundable deposit holds reservation. Includes hand-outs and other materials.
Enroll Early: Class size is limited to 20!
Registration and Questions: Contact director@carlsbadartfarm.com

About the Seminar: Many artists have difficulty with composition. This intensive and engaging seminar addresses issues faced when composing pictures by combining lively lectures, presentations, and demonstrations with drawing exercises that breakdown the three essential stages of picture composition. Instructor Will Weston notes that: "Composition prioritizes everything in painting from the most important to the least important elements. In art, composition is content, and the essential element separating the beginner from more advanced or professional artists."

About the Instructor: Will Weston is a highly experienced professional artist and art instructor. He has worked in feature animation for Disney Feature and Television Animation, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures. Prior to his animation work, he worked nationally in advertising and editorial illustration.

While solidly grounded in traditional art and illustration technique, Will is equally at home with digital drawing and painting. He is a full-time professor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and is the Entertainment Arts Advisor to its Illustration Department. He teaches seminars to professionals and graduate students at various locations, including the USC Graduate School of Animation and the Animation Guild.

Will's extensive teaching experience allows him to understand a broad range of student needs and different learning styles, delivering effective instruction in an engaging manner. Balancing that is the real-world professional background that he brings to the classroom and studio, helping to prepare students for the challenges of today’s dynamic and rapidly changing work environment. For more information on this artist, visit: WillWestonStudio.com

Kris Finch Drawing and Painting Workshop Oct. 12

Kris Finch, one of our painting instructors at Art Farm, hosts a monthly oil painting and drawing class for adults at the San Diego Art Department, 3830 Ray Street, in San Diego. The fee is $25 per session.

His next class is Oct. 12, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Kris is a gifted instructor. The class is appropriate to every skill level, from the tentative beginner to experienced artists. I can't say enough good things about his approach to teaching. He really gets results.

For more information, contact me at director@carlsbadartfarm.com or contact Kris directly at kfinchart@gmail.com.

Follow the Youtube link below to see a wonderful drawing demonstration by Kris. Turn up the volume because the music is lovely.

KFinchArt Portait Drawing - Google Search

Coming Soon to Carlsbad Art Farm

After nine busy weeks of summer camp, and time out for some end-of-season vacation time, I'm getting back in the saddle (so to speak) at Art Farm. Thanks to all of you parents who have been patient in waiting to hear back from me concerning after school and Saturday art classes for young students. I will be posting times, dates, fees on this blog soon. The difficult part is getting consensus on best times and days. If you would like to weigh-in on this, please contact me at director@carlsbadartfarm.com.

This year Art Farm is opening up to adults (the quick-sketch painting at right is my own recent effort). We will be offering ongoing classes, workshops and seminars.

If you are interested in wildlife or animal art, please let me know as I am working on having Joe Weatherly (www.joeweatherly.net) come to Art Farm for a 2-Day paint sketch seminar this fall. We will use resident Art Farm animals as models.

Will Weston (www.westonseminars.com) is coming to Art Farm Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 21 & 22, to teach a 2-day, 18-hour seminar on Composition for Artists. The fee is $249. Space is limited to 20, so if you are interested contact me soon at director@carlsbadartfarm.com. A $100 deposit secures your reservation.

This workshop is appropriate for intermediate to advanced students (or the ambitious beginning student!). Will notes that many artists - even very experienced artists - have difficulty with composition. Whether you're a fine artist, landscape painter, composing for animation or film, graphic novels, or children's books, this seminar is designed to help you work through those problems and come away with information and hand-out materials that will enable you to continue leaning after the workshop.

The seminar addresses traditional issues faced when composing environmental drawings by combining lectures, presentations, and demonstrations with selected exercises and hands-on drawing. Using landscape composition as a starting point, students learn to compose pictures with applications to studio art and illustration. Examples are presented and explained in detail. Students do short exercises to direct the eye, create depth and establish mood and time of day. Students then draw a landscape composition under the direction of the instructor. Handouts provided during the seminar enable students to continue learning after the workshop.

About the Instructor: Will is a professor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he teaches composition, film composition, digital painting, life drawing, and visual development for animation and film. He is also the curriculum advisor for Art Center's Entertainment Program. Professionally, Will has worked for many studios, including Disney Feature and Television Animation, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures. He also has many years experience working in illustration and advertising.

It's a Wrap for Art Farm Summer Camp 2009

We at Carlsbad Art Farm want to say thank you to all the wonderful young artists and their parents who have made it yet another wonderful summer camp season at our woodland wonderland.

Yesterday marked the completion of our ninth and final weekly summer camp. At right are a selection of nature journals by some campers (click for larger view) filled with images of animals, plants, chickens, and just about anything else they could think of to draw. For more information and images of what students have seen and accomplished at Art Farm this summer view earlier posts or visit our website at CarlsbadArtFarm.com.

The good news is that for the first time this year Art Farm will be open year-round starting in mid-September. We will be offering classes for children and adults. We will be updating our website to reflect new offerings, but in the meantime check this blog frequently for the most current information.

Coming this fall, Art Farm will have ongoing art classes for students in grades two through eight. Additionally, Art Farm will be offering adult seminars and workshops. We are also available for home school art instruction. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to spend time in a natural woodland habitat, learning to draw, paint and otherwise make art through direct observation of animals and the surrounding natural environment.

Also for the first time this year, Art Farm will be available for mini-camps during the school year. We are available for week-long or three-day art camps during your school district's breaks. We have numerous inquires asking if we are available for activities by various youth groups such as girl scouts, boy scouts, youth soccer leagues, etc. The answer is: Yes we are. If you are a group of parents who would like to take advantage of any of these options then contact us at director@carlsbadartfarm.com. We do need up to two-weeks advance notice.

And finally, in answer to a question we hear a lot from parents whose children have attended Art Farm: Yes, we are available for birthday parties. Cost will depend on the number of guests and the type of art projects you select for your birthday child.

Again, thanks to all for joining us this summer at Art Farm. Come back to visit us and the critters often!

Happy Campers Point the Way to Art Farm

Session Seven Campers at Art Farm last week formed a small but enthusiastic group of students. Here they are, showing off their nature journals at the entrance to Art Farm (for a closer view, click on image).

What's very rewarding from week-to-week is to see students blossom from their first, tentative day at Art Farm to feeling like they pretty much own the place and the animals by week's end. For many urban kids, this is their first immersion experience in a woodland habitat where they have the time not just to view animals and the nature that surrounds them, but to also spend time observing it all in close detail. The students take pride in knowing the names of the various critters and having a sense of their individual personalities. This is a different experience than passing by a cage, seeing a goat or an alpaca, and then moving on to the next exhibit. Art Farm is a 10-acres riparian habitat with a creek that runs year-round.

We have been very fortunate this summer in our instructors, Lori Mitchell and Kris Finch. Kris is pictured here with his painting students. He's an absolute natural at showing students how to break down form and render it in paint.

Now on to Session Eight and Nine, starting this Monday. There is still time to register. Then it's time to start planning for course offerings (for children and adults) this fall.

For more information, visit the Carlsbad Art Farm website at CarlsbadArtFarm.com.

Art Farm Nature Journaling at Barlow Horse Ranch

Carlsbad Art Farm students had a great time this week visiting the Barlow Horse Ranch and sketching in their nature journals. Here students check out a Texas longhorn, who, in turn, seemed to like checking them out. The impression was he doesn't often get to model for young artists.

Students also sketched a couple of mini-donkeys named Luigi and Mario and Toby, a huge draft horse (I guess that they are huge goes without saying, but it really is impressive to stand hoof-to-toe with one of these gentle giants).

For more information about Carlsbad Art Farm or two enroll in our two remaining camp sessions of the summer, visit our website at CarlsbadArtFarm.com and click on the "Camp" tab.

A Mule With a Hankering for Sunflowers

Picasso, our miniature mule, has come a long way since he first came to Art Farm a year ago in April. He was generally anxious and stand-offish, and didn't like to be touched about the head. But now he follows us around like an extra-jumbo-sized Great Dane.

When camp is not in session, we let him out of his pen so he can roam around and get in a good run. He is pictured here with my daughter, Emerson, at the camp registration table. Moments after this picture was taken, he noticed on the table a painting on paper of some sunflowers. It must have been a good likeness, because Picasso got this rascally look in his eye, snapped it up and ran off with it. The paper flapping in the wind caused him to startle and run ever faster, but he wouldn't let go of the painting because he was sure it might be good to eat. After he figured out that the painting wasn't going to harm him, he dropped it on the ground, looked at the flowers for awhile longer, and then, apparently deciding these particular flowers were not for eating, he trotted off looking for something better. Kandinsky, our goat, would have eaten the paper flowers in a heartbeat.

Picasso has been trained to come when we whistle. He'll come to the whistler, and then trot along behind hoping for a treat. Many times his treat is a nice ear scratch. He would prefer some Alfamo, but he thinks the ear scratch is pretty nice.

Art Farm has two summer sessions left before the camp season ends. For details and enrollment forms, visit our website at CarlsbadArtFarm.com and click on the "Camp" tab.

P.S. click on the photo below to enlarge. Picasso's face is pretty endearing.

Can You find the Hidden Animals?

Pictured here are Carlsbad Art Farm Session 5 Campers, all ready for their close-up, except Kandinsky the goat who insisted on facing the other way. It just goes to show that you can lead a goat to a photo shoot, but you can't make her pose (click for larger view).

The little fellow on the far right is a miniature mule (his mother was a pony and his father was a small donkey). The animal with the long neck to the left of the mule is Mr. Weasely, one of our alpacas, and just right of center is Hilda, our German Shepherd and self-appointed guardian of all children.

Campers are learning lots of great new art techniques this week in acrylic, charcoal, and watercolor. They have made their nature journals, are working on artist's trading cards, making soap, and generally having a grand old time being around animals in nature for a week.

If you haven't visited our website at CarlsbadArtFarm.com then take a look now. For camp information and forms, click on the "Camp" tab. We have just four more weekly summer sessions before we wrap it up for the summer. There is limited available space remaining in all sessions. We hope to see you here soon!

Designer Dad Makes Monsterous School Lunches

English Designer Jon Hicks knows how to make a kid look forward to lunch. Imagine opening your lunch box everyday and discovering a new monster along side the P& J sammie.

Starting last May, Hicks has daily penned whimsical monster cards for this son Daniel's lunch boxes. He then posts his illustrations at danielsmonster.tumblr.com. Take a look.

Hicks notes he's, "Not totally sure why I started this, but (Daniel) enjoyed the first one, and it’s become a ritual. Every morning when making his lunch, I give myself 5 minutes to draw a monster on paper from one of those memo pad things, give it a name and quickly photograph it with the iPhone.

"Sometimes they come out OK, sometimes they’re not so great. The important thing is seeing his reaction at the end of the day."

It's wonderful for kids to see parents being creative, making it a part of the fabric of life. As Hicks notes, sometimes they're good and sometimes not, but that's hardly the point. What's wonderful is the sense of fun communicated visually. It's something shared, daily, between parent and child.

One thing I run up against time and again with young artists is a fear of somehow drawing a bad picture. I think this is something telegraphed to them every time a parent says, "Oh, I can't draw!" instead of simply doing it. At some time in our childhoods most of us love to draw and then, somehow, fell out of the habit. It's a reversible loss.

Which Way is it to Carlsbad Art Farm?

Session Four campers at Art Farm concluded their week today with a group portrait (click to enlarge) and our weekly Friday All Camp BBQ. This photo was taken by Art Farm Camp Aide April Mitchell.

Pictured here with students are Hilda, the dog posing in front, and Kandinsky, the $20 Art Farm rescue goat. Kandy came from the local animal shelter a year ago in May after she was found wandering around a county road without any identification. She landed on her feet (as goats do) at Art Farm, where she works as an art model when not getting into mischief.

Kandy is part Nubian goat. We're not sure what the other part is. She shares her corral with Picasso, a miniature mule, which is next door to the alpaca paddock. She is a very endearing animal and we are on the lookout for a companion goat with whom she might like to share a corral.

Session Five at Art Farm is now full. We still have limited space in Sessions Six through Nine, continuing into mid-August. Camp sessions are one week. Hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, access our website at CarlsbadArtFarm.com and click on the "Camp" tab. Enrollment and other forms are available for download at the bottom of the camp tab.

Medicine Horse Visits Art Farm

Campers at Carlsbad Art Farm this week were delighted by a surprise visit from Boy Scout, a paint "Medicine Horse". Scout (click on image to enlarge) is 16-hands and about seven-years old. His owner, Tim Barlow, at far right, owns the Barlow Ranch just down the road from Art Farm. Scout LOVES apples slices and had a great time eating them as they were offered by students.

Boy Scout, and his little sister, Girl Scout, come from a 180-year-old horse ranch in Plano, Texas, that specializes in Medicine horses that are a cross between an American Quarter Horse and an Appaloosa.

So what is a "Medicine Horse?"

In an article titled "The Spirit or Medicine Horse", by Nancy Falley of Lockhart, Texas, originally published in the Spring 2003 issue of Caution: Horses, Falley writes:

"Many Native American tribes and families held certain horses in high regard as Spirit or Medicine horses. The designation was made for horses with unusual markings. These horses could range from appaloosas with a 'bearpaw' or ‘handprint' marking in its spotting to paints or pintos with an unusually shaped spot or spots (Medicine Hat or War Bonnet markings were highly prized) to the solid colored animal with an unusual facial marking. Many so-called Spirit or Medicine horses also had blue eyes which were often called Sky-eyes or Heaven-eyes and added to the mystique which surrounded them.

The term Spirit or Medicine horse could also be placed on a more 'normally' marked horse who had shown its owner some unusual talent or power, such as alerting its rider to danger that the rider/owner hadn't discerned or being able to find game.

Warriors and Shamans as well as other members of the tribe or family valued these Spirit or Medicine horses very highly and believed that the good fortune of their people depended in some part on keeping these animals in their possession. Since horse stealing was considered an honored profession among early Native Americans, it was these particular horses that an enemy warrior or tribe might go after. If they could get away undetected with the valued horse, they were considered to have good medicine' and the theft earned the respect of both their tribes and the enemy from whom the animal had been stolen. Of course, it was then the former owner's turn to try and regain his stolen property.

Today Spirit or Medicine marked horses still appear in the various color breeds, as well as the solid colored breeds. The American Indian Horse Registry (AIHR) welcomes these unusually colored horses without discrimination. They may be a combination of appaloosa and paint or pinto or an outcrop from a solid colored breed. Some Indian Horse breeders work very hard to breed these features into their lines, but nature is still the boss and most deliberate breeding programs fail due to the very nature of the elusive coloration."

For Whom the Carlsbad Art Farm Bell Tolls

We have just completed Session Two at Carlsbad Art Farm. Pictured here are campers and staff under the school bell (originally from my husband's family farm in Michigan). Click on image to enlarge.

It was a great week! Students kept busy making and filling nature journals, making animal soap, learning acyclic, charcoal, and pen-and-ink watercolor techniques.

They observed nature and animals, which they used to create art. Some guest models this week included "Lizzy" an extra jumbo-sized San Diego Alligator lizard and Molasses, a species of endangered dessert tortoise.

Picasso, our miniature mule, posed handsomely. Kandinsky, our $20 rescue goat, was, as usual, a delightful goofball (she ate my demonstration drawing, much to the amusement of my students). Our alpacas, Harry Potter and Mr. Weasely, allowed their fuzzy necks to be hugged as they were led about on leashes. Hilda, the camp dog, kept kids entertained as she continues to dig her ever-growing tunnel beneath a fallen tree stump. We're not sure where she's going.

Then there are the free-range chickens that wander through camp looking for bugs and worms. Students enjoy finding their eggs. Big favorites are Maude, Feathers, Patriot, and Egg Nog.

Our weekly Friday All Camp BBQ in the woods, to which we invite family, siblings and friends, was a big success. We cooked 65 giant hotdogs, 18 veggie burgers, and 80 ears of corn. Campers helped with the setting of tables. Parents had a chance to hangout at the campsite where they could admire their children's art and simply enjoy the beautiful setting.

Camps continue all summer into mid-August. All information is available online at our website under the "Camp" tab. Scroll to the bottom to find enrollment and other required forms. The enrollment form includes session dates. For mid-season session availability, email the director Perrin Weston (that would be me) at director@carlsbadartfarm.com.

Do They Spit?

This is the number one question we get asked about our alpacas at Art Farm. Alpacas and their distant and much larger cousins, Llamas, seem to have a reputation for spitting.

The answer is yes they do on occasion spit, but not usually at humans. Spitting is an alpaca's only natural defense (believe it or not), so generally they only spit if they feel threatened.

One of the alpacas did once spit at our goat, Kandinsky, but the goat was asking for it. She kept getting in the face of Harry Potter, the light colored little fella to the right, so Harry let Kandinsky have it in the face with a great huge wad of green, digested orchard hay. Kandy looked enormously surprised and humiliated and backed off immediately.

Mostly, alpacas are sweet and somewhat shy creatures that are easily halter trained. Their fur is as soft as it looks. They have huge eyes and very long lashes. They do not have hooves. Their feet are much like a dog's, with pads on the bottom and large toenails. They are camelids. Their natural habitat is in the Andes.

These two, Harry Potter (so named because he has a tuft of fur on his forehead that resembles a lightening bolt), and Mr. Weasely, the brown one, are about 80 to 100 pounds beneath all the fuzz.

Chickens For Art's Sake

The American Educator William Lyon Phelps, who served as a professor of English at Yale University from 1901 to 1933, once said: "If I didn't start painting, I would have raised chickens."

Well, we're here to tell you that raising chickens and making art are not mutually exclusive undertakings.


Carlsbad Art Farm currently has 13 free-range chickens that wander through our outdoor studios, foraging for yummy bugs and worms, while students strive to capture their images in paint and charcoal. This group of students - entering second or third grade this coming fall - are showing off portraits of several varieties of chicken which they painted in instructor Kris Finch's class. During breaks, they have fun discovering where the various hens are laying their many-colored eggs.

There are, of course, many other critters at Art Farm for students to observe and render. So far this week, our campers have enjoyed making nature journals, drawing and painting Harry and Mr. Weasley, the alpacas, Picasso the mini-mule, a very large San Diego Alligator Lizard named Lizzy, and our lovely rescue goat, Kandinsky. They have also made "Monster Soap" and "Animal Soap" to give as surprise gifts to their dads on Father's Day (so, shhhh . . .! don't tell). Students have also helped with the feeding of animals.

Carlsbad Art Farm Summer Camp will continue enrolling students as space allows in our weekly camp sessions through mid-August. All enrollment forms and information are available on the website under the "Camp" tab.

Getting Ready for Campers at Carlsbad Art Farm

With summer sessions starting next week, we are in full preparation mode here at Carlsbad Art Farm. That means getting our animal models ready for their close-ups, mowing many acres of weeds, setting up our outdoor studios, trimming some huge palm trees, and going over our art supplies order.

Enrollment for Art Farm continues throughout the summer. For session dates and enrollment forms, visit CarlsbadArtFarm.com and click the "Camp" tab.

Pictured here are some campers from last summer learning how artists go about drawing an animal - from initial sketch to finished drawing. We start by teaching basic animal structure. Once they understand that most mammals have the same basic bone structure with variations, it's a small step to being able to draw most any animal.

We use a lot of charcoal for drawing. It's smudgyness gets children away from a fear of getting a line wrong. Sometimes we get children who are absolutely wedded to their erasers. They will draw a line, fret that its not perfect, erase it, try again, fret, erase it, try again, fret . . . you get the idea. One way we deal with this is by taking away the erasers until the drawing is nearly finished. Charcoal is an imprecise medium. Lines can be sharp or blurred, light or very dark. Using charcoal, children begin to appreciate that making a likeness of an animal -- or any other object -- is not about technical perfection but about capturing it's essence. Charcoal drawings have a sense of movement, a quality that is ideal for drawing animals, trees with fluttering leaves, passing clouds, etc.

The class pictured here shows children working on "art horses". These are benches with a vertical board at the end on which they can lean their drawing boards (sort of like an easel you can sit on). This allows them to observe the model while drawing with correct form.

The sheep makes a good live model because it is busy grazing and tends not to move much. Drawing live animals requires close observation because the animal will move so you must hold a memory of a pose. Repeated attempts to draw the live animal enforce this memory.

A good place to practice drawing exotic animals is the zoo or wild animal park. Next time you take your child artist to the zoo, bring along a good-quality sketch pad and some soft lead art pencils (3B or 4B). Show your child that you are not fearful of making mistakes (even if you are!) by bringing along a pad and pencils for yourself. Know ahead of time which animals you want to draw to avoid the, "What do you want to draw?" "I don't know," merry-go-round. The idea is to go with a sense of purpose and to hit the ground running.

The petting zoo is a good place to draw because the animals are close up. Your child's attempts at drawing will be positively reinforced by other zoo guests who are charmed by the sight of a child drawing with a parent (and by other children who are slightly jealous that they didn't bring drawing supplies).

Carlsbad Art Farm Summer Camp Enrollment Update

Greetings Campers!

Enrollment for weekly summer day camps starting June 15 and continuing through Aug. 14 is in full swing.

The only requirement to attend is that students be entering 2nd grade through 8th grade staring in fall 2009.

Art Farm is located on 10 rural acres just minutes away from The Village of Carlsbad and the I-5 freeway. We teach children how to draw, paint, otherwise make art through direct observation of live animals and the surrounding natural landscape.

Above right is one of our featured models from last year's summer camp. Other animal models included mules, horses, roosters and chickens, goats, dogs, and baby doll lambs. This summer we have added two young alpacas to the line-up.

We are getting many inquiries at our website asking about available sessions or if we are still enrolling. The answer is most sessions still have some available spots. We are still enrolling but starting now sessions start filling quickly. We do continue to take enrollments through the summer camp season if space is available. Enrollment information and forms are available for download at our website under the Camp Tab.

So what makes Carlsbad Art Farm different? Art Farm campers take a step back to in time to a place where the talents of young artists are treated seriously and nature serves as their inspiration. They cross our wooden bridge and leave behind cityscapes, stoplights, and pavement for a setting that looks much as Carlsbad did back in the early 1960s – when the director’s family first purchased and set out to preserve the property.

At Art Farm, campers work in small groups organized by age and led by artists who guide them in authentic art techniques, all while working in outdoor studios and interacting with animals. Our instructors are supported by aides and, together, they ensure that each student has their full attention every day. At the end of the week, campers leave with new skills that they can use long after they leave Art Farm – or which inspire them to return for more sessions.

At the end of their week, even campers who thought they couldn’t “do” art learn that visual expression is within their reach, and is fun!

Teaching art is our mission, but Art Farm embraces much more. Aides and teachers are engaging and kid friendly. We allow plenty of time to horse around with old friends, make new friends, greet animals, hunt for chicken eggs, and to simply run around. Kids get to be kids and enjoy the pleasures of country living. We're pretty certain that there isn't another art camp comparable to Art Farm in all of San Diego County.

We only have so many space available, so don't get left standing in the barn! Enroll today and join the fun.