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.