January 2012 Classes and More at Carlsbad Art Farm

Happy New Year!


Our Carlsbad Art Farm staff and animals had a nice winter break and are now ready to get back to work. There is never a lack of things to do around here as we prepare for winter. Picasso the mini-mule and the alpacas are ready for rain (if we get rain!) in the comfort of their new corral finished last spring. Our four Nigerian Dwarf goats - Calvin, Hobbes, Zeus, and Buffy - have now taken up full-time residence in the old alpaca/mule pen, which is slated for improvements this coming spring. Calvin, pictured here, is helping my husband, Chase, with a small roofing job on a kennel, which keeps our goats secure from predators and warm at night.

Calvin inspects progress on his new kennel roof

Thanks to all the families who turned out for our first annual Art Farm for the Holidays events in December! Students had a great time making unique gifts for family and friends while enjoying fresh-baked gingerbread and Art Farm brownies, warm spiced pear cider, and spending free time with our animals. We will be offering this again in December 2012.


Our Saturday morning art class resumes Jan. 7, 2012, from 10 A.M to 1 P.M.


Students currently enrolled in Grades 2-8 are eligible to attend. Classes are $30 per session, purchased in monthly blocks. Classes are taught in our outdoor studios, often using our farm animals as models to teach authentic technique in a variety of dry and wet media. New students are welcome to audit one class for $30. Art Farm Saturday class is primarily a studio drawing and painting class, although we do work in high-end craft projects.  Art Farm classes include a visual literacy program which complements the studio art class. Students are also provided with supervised "free time" to visit with our animals, take hikes down to our creek, and to generally enjoy our 10-acres riparian habitat in north coastal San Diego County.


We are open to opening a second Saturday art class in the afternoon if there is sufficient interest, so let us know. Usually there is interest, but conflicts with sports.

Art Farm for the Holidays students making gifts

Art Farm is located on a private property on Sunny Creek Road near the Village of Carlsbad. Visitors are by appointment only. Art Farm's entry gate is closed and locked unless class is in session. To arrange a visit, please contact Perrin Weston Coman at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com.


In addition to our academic school year classes, Art Farm is a unique destination for local school field trips, scout outings, birthday parties, and more. Kelly Elementary school second-graders visited Art Farm this fall as part of their "pond life" studies. At Art Farm, they took a tour of our creek where they tested water and learned about our 10-acre woodland riparian habitat, and why a healthy creek is so important to maintaining this habitat.


We also post about events and happenings at Art Farm on our Carlsbad Art Farm Facebook Page. "Liking" our Facebook page is a great way to keep up with Art Farm updates. We are too busy taking care of all of our critters to post too frequently, so we won't inundate you with updates. Plus, our updates usually feature a picture of a really cute animal doing something charming, so what's not to like?


Week-long summer camps at Art Farm begin in June and continue to mid-August. Enrollment begins March 1. Camps sellout early, so if you wish to be added to our mailing list for updates please click director and provide a contact email and phone number. Please include in the subject line "Camp Inquiry".

Art Farm for the Holidays

An Indonesian Eclectus Parrot, right, and his unidentified

friend enjoy their lunch at the San Diego Zoo yesterday.

(Photo by Perrin Weston)

Carlsbad Art Farm is hosting six open house studio events for students Grades 2-8 over the first three weekends in December. Students are invited to come to Art Farm  to make presents for family and friends for the holidays while enjoying our 10-acres preserve in central Carlsbad. Please look at our schedule below for event dates and times (click headline for complete post). Attendance is by RSVP only. Space is limited so early reservations are recommended. Fee is $40 per student per session date, plus and additional $5-$15 per project completed. Parents enrolling siblings concurrently will receive a discount enrollment rate of $25 per each additional child. The per project fee remains the same. Depending on the projects selected, students will have time to finish 1-3 projects per visit.

In addition to making holiday gifts for friends and family, students will have time to simply enjoy Art Farm. Visits with our farm animals, time on our tire swing, walks down the creek-side trail (weather permitting), and sinfully delicious holiday treats are all part of the fun. And naturally, it's always fun to come with friends so don't be shy about getting the word out for us.

For more information and to make your reservation, please click here. In the subject heading, please type "Art Farm for the Holidays" (so we don't delete your email as spam). Provide the first names and current grade level of your student(s), and your preferred open house session date. Payment is by check or cash only on the day of the event.

In the event of rain, we will cancel or postpone an open house on any given date. We will email you prior to any cancellation so if the weather looks iffy check your email prior to coming out the day of your  reservation.

Open House Dates: Sat, Dec. 3, 1:30 PM-5:30 PM; Sun, Dec. 4, 11 AM-3 PM; Sat, Dec. 10, 1:30 PM-5:30 PM; Sun, Dec. 11, 11 AM-3 PM; Sat, Dec17, 1:30 PM-5:30 PM; Sun, Dec. 18, 11 AM-3 PM.

Art Farm Sculptures Inspired by Deborah Butterfield

Art Farm Summer Camp Season is off to a great start! Last week our middle school-age students studied Deborah Butterfield, an American artist known for her larger-than-life-sized sculptures of horses made from found objects such as metal and wood. Students watched a short video of her work, in which Butterfield talks about her technique and her life as an artist.

Following the video, students set about collaboratively creating primitive, larger-than-life sized sculptures of Art Farm's very own alpacas, Harry Potter and Mr. Weasley. The goal was to use as few tools as possible. Other than a ball of twine, all materials were found within Art Farm's habitat. Art Farm Instructor Andrew Sinclair, an accomplished sculptor himself, used the lesson to teach art concepts including the roles of negative space, tension, and texture in creating a 3-dimensional work of art.

Pictured here is a Butterfield sculpture (top) and the alpaca sculptures (bottom). Click on the images to see a larger view. 

!Palomino Horse by Deborah Butterfield

Art Farm Preparing for Fall Line-Up of Classes

Art Farm's summer camp season 2010 came to a nice closing Aug. 15 with a great group of students. Thanks again to my wonderful staff: painting instructor Kris Finch; natural sciences instructor Jennifer Stowe; camp aides Emerson Coman, Max Giffen; AnneMarie Delfino; Erica Barrett, and Rachel Mehrberg. Thanks also to the San Diego Humane Society for bringing an array of animal ambassadors to share with students.

I enjoyed teaching introduction to charcoal teaching. At right is a fine drawing by Rose Wilkinson, age 11.

Molasses the Desert Tortoise Visits Art Farm

We get a number of interesting guest animals at Art Farm each summer. This week, Camp Aide Erica Barrett brought her 3-year-old desert Tortoise, Molasses, to visit with students in Science Lab class.

Molasses is an inspired name for a tortoise (you know, "slow as molasses . . ."), so I was surprised to see how fast this little guy (gal?) can scoot around. While Erica provided information about the care and feeding of a desert tortoise, Molasses made several laps around the table to check out the in-progress drawings students were sketching of him in their nature journals. Molasses mostly eats lettuce, and lots of it.

Later this week, Persephone, the flying squirrel, will be returning to Art Farm for another guest appearance.

Next week is the last camp for the summer season. There is still time to enroll. For more information, call 760-688-6147 or email us at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com. Information about camp and printable forms are available at our website under the "Camp" tab.

One Last Chance for Summer Camp this Season

We are nearing the end of another great summer camp season at Art Farm with one more session to go starting next week on Aug. 9. There are still a few spaces left. To enroll visit our website, click on the camp tab, and scroll down to the bottom for enrollment forms. Or call 760-688-6147.

At right is a wonderful charcoal drawing of a baboon by Sarah Bauer, who is entering Grade 6 this fall. She attended camp last week.

Students in drawing class learn to use value (lights and darks) and look for shapes within the animal. This is different and much more sophisticated then simply drawing the contour of an object and then filling in the color. Charcoal is a wonderful medium for young students as it forces them to get away from hard-line drawing in favor of a style that has a more "painterly" feel. The smudginess combined with line drawing is what gives it life. Here the drawing is on a "toned" paper, meaning it has a color, in this case a sort of felt gray. The nice quality of the paper -- which grabs the charcoal and allows the paper texture to become an important element in the drawing -- also helps students be more successful.

Perhaps we'll see you this summer. If not, visit our blog often to see offerings during the school year for young students and adults. Currently, we offer our ongoing Saturday morning art class for students in Grades 2 through 8.

Flying Squirrel Visits Carlsbad Art Farm

Art Farm Summer Camp Aide Max Giffen delighted campers recently by bringing an unusual visitor to natural science class -- her pet flying squirrel Persephone. If you click on the picture, you can catch a glimpse of Persephone at the bottom of her travel cage.

One surprise about flying squirrels is that they're pretty small compared to the more robust ground and tree squirrels we're accustomed to in California. Max noted that to be aerodynamic, flying squirrels need to be small enough to glide from destination to destination. Persephone is a variety found in North America (there are two). In all, world wide, there are 44 known species.

Flying squirrels are not capable of sustained flight. Instead they glide between trees, with flights recorded up to 295 ft. The direction and speed of the animal in midair is varied by changing the positions of its two arms and legs, largely controlled by small wrist bones. This changes the tautness of a furry parachute-like membrane that stretches from wrist to ankle. It has a fluffy tail that stabilizes in flight. The tail also works as an airbreak before landing.

Also, unlike other squirrels, flying squirrels are nocturnal. Their large eyes indicate the importance of vision as they navigate and forage at night. Because of their small size and elusive behavior, flying squirrels are difficult to observe, which is why this class felt very fortunate to observe a tame one up close. Students took notes and drew pictures of Persephone in their nature journal.

For more information about flying squirrels, visit www.flyingsquirrels.com, the only website dedicated to these fascinating creatures. Art Farm weekly summer camps still open for enrollment are Sessions 7, 8, and 9, starting the last week in July and continuing through mid-August. For more information and registration materials, visit our website at www.CarlsbadArtFarm.com and click on the "Camp" tab. If you wish to make a reservation today, email the director at director@carlsbadartfarm.com or call 760-688-6147.

Art Farm Camp Sessions Update

Art Farm Summer Camp 2010 morning into afternoon sessions that are now closed are as follows:

• Session 4 (July 5-9)
• Session 5 (July 12-16)
  
• Session 6 (July 19-23)
  

• All late afternoon sessions (2 PM to 5 PM)
  

There is still time to enroll in all other sessions including Session 3, beginning next week, Monday, June 28. Sessions are one week and continue through mid-August. For information and enrollment forms, visit our website and click on the "Camp" tab.

Chickens in the Land of Oz

Does this happen to you? You're on a tight deadline, desperately trying to finish a 12'x14' canvas painting of the Emerald City of Oz for your daughter's upcoming 5th grade play when up pops a chicken to inspect the wet green paint.

Didn't think so. This particular chicken seems to be a real art fan as she keeps popping back up to peck the canvas no matter how many times she's removed. Either she doesn't approve or the flowers look so real she's determined to eat them. So far all she's gotten for her trouble is a cap of green paint on her head.

Art Farm is pleased to announce that Jennifer Stowe has joined our team as a natural sciences teacher for our summer camp program. Jennifer holds a Master's in biology from the University of California at San Diego. She has been involved in local nature tours and environmental protection groups for many years. Jennifer notes: "I hike our mountains and trails, surf our waves, and grew up catching tadpoles in our local creeks. During college, I spent one summer in Montana identifying and cataloging native trees and shrubs as part of a conservation effort with the University of Montana's Biological Station."

As Art Farm's naturalist, Jennifer will provide students with a solid introduction to our unique, creek-side woodland habitat and the life it supports. She will instruct students in age-appropriate groupings with an emphasis on hands-on learning. The addition of Jennifer to our staff represents Art Farm's continuing commitment to educate local children about the beauty and importance of our biomes.

Art Farm enrollment continues throughout the summer! Visit our website at www.carlsbadartfarm.com for more information. Enrollments forms for summer camp are under the "Camp" tab. You may also contact us at 760-688-6147.

Art Farm at Carlsbad Beach Fest

Art Farm was pleased to be invited to participate this year in the 3rd Annual Carlsbad Beach Fest at Frazee Beach. The event took place this past Saturday. We had a great time helping kids (and quite a few adults!) make art using recycled metal bottle caps. It seemed like the perfect project for a day devoted to environmental awareness and beach clean-up.

Pictured right are me, Perrin Weston Coman, and one of my Art Farm aides, Kayli, who is taking AP art classes at Carlsbad High School.

Carlsbad Beach Fest's main goal is to support and promote the stewardship and protection of our beaches, the marine environment, and coastal waterways. Beach Fest is organized by the local State Parks office. As a participant, I was very impressed by their staff and volunteers. Kudos to them!

Our summer camp enrollments are continuing. Our week-long day camps begin June 14 and continue through mid-August. For more information about how to enroll read the previous posting on this blog and visit our website.

We are having a busy week at Art Farm. Students from Del Mar Hills Nursery School visited us today to make nature journals and spend time with our animals and more are on the way tomorrow. On Friday, a local girl scout troop will be spending the afternoon with us. For updates on Art Farm, we recommend subscribing to this blog. We post once or twice a week.

Carlsbad Art Farm Summer Camp Registration Ongoing

This post is an Art Farm Summer Camp FAQ, so here goes:

Q: How do I register my child for camp? A: Easy! Visit our website at www.CarlsbadArtFarm.com; click on the "Camp" tab; scroll down to the bottom and download the registration form.

Q: When do camps begin and how long are they? A: Camps are one week and we have two sessions daily to choose from (9 AM - 1 PM and 2 PM to 5 PM). Dates and times (plus a whole bunch of other information) are posted at our website. Camps begin June 14 and continue weekly through mid-August.

Q: Is there still room in the session of my choice? A: When sessions fill, we will immediately post that information on this blog. Unless otherwise stated here, there is still room in the session of your choice. Traditionally, our heaviest enrollment period begins in late April and continues throughout the summer. If your camper wants to attend with friends, we recommend enrolling early to be sure there is space for your group.

Q: Is there an age requirement for attending camp? A: Students must be entering Grades 2 through 8 in fall 2010 to attend?

Q: Are younger kids in separate classes than older students? A: Absolutely! Art Farm's outdoor studio classrooms on 10-acres allow us to conduct three classes simultaneously in small groups. While older students are taking painting class, a middle-range group might be taking drawing, while the youngest group is working on a multimedia project. These groups rotate throughout the camp day so that the art instructor can teach according to the age-level of his or her group.

Q: I have a middle-schooler. Will there be other middle school students in my child's session? A: As we get closer to the first day of camp we will be able to answer that question better. You may always ask by emailing me (Perrin Weston Coman) at director@CarlsbadArtFarm.com. We have had many middle-school students come with friends and they have a blast.

Q: What is that large-eyed animal staring out at me from this post? A: That's Hairy Potter, one of our resident alpacas. He can't wait to see you this summer!

Spring Chicks Coming to Art Farm

Carlsbad Art Farm has placed it's spring chick order for summer camp. Arriving May 17 are 31 day-old chicks: Silver Polish (pictured here); Golden Polish; Buff Laced Polish; Barred Rocks; White Crested Polish; Black Polish; and Light Brahmans.

Our daughter, Emerson, 11, is the resident chicken expert at Art Farm. She did all the ordering at McMurray Hatchery, assuring us that kids will especially love the Polish hens for their fabulous feathers.

The chicks, believe it or not, arrive care of our local post office. After pick-up, they are placed in brooders to keep them warm and safe until they are ready for the outdoors.

The polish variety are known for their wonderful feathered heads. Students will learn how to hold baby chicks and wash their hands after handling birds. Older students may enjoy learning how to bathe and blow dry a chicken for show.

Chickens at Art Farm are free-range during the day. They enjoy roaming our 10-acres woodland habitat for bugs, worms, and weeds. Students are delighted when the chickens cruise by during art classes. While doing so, they help fertilize and turn-over our soil. At night time, they all voluntarily return to their coop to roost. All of our birds are inoculated against disease.

Weekly camp sessions begin June 14 and continue through Mid-August. We offer two sessions daily to accommodate busy families. Students must be entering Grades 2 through 8 in Fall 2010 to attend. All classes are small and grouped according to age. Art projects are geared toward the age level of each student group.

We are located off El Camino Real and College Blvd. very near the Village of Carlsbad and Palomar Airport. Students come to Art Farm from all over north San Diego County. For more information visit our website and click on the "Camp" tab. Registration forms are available for easy download under the Camp Tab. You may contact us directly at director@carlsbadartfarm.com.

Art Farm Now Enrolling for Summer Camp 2010

Carlsbad Art Farm is now enrolling students for Summer Camp 2010. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

New this year, we are now offering two sessions daily to accommodate more students while keeping our class sizes small. All information, schedules, and registration materials are available for download on our website.

Also new are Saturday morning classes at Art Farm for students currently enrolled in grades 2 through 8. Information about all programs are listed under our website "Programs" tab.

For an invitation to our upcoming BBQ open-house you must be on our e-mail sign-up list, also available on our website. Don't get left standing in the barn: sign-up now.

We are looking very forward to another busy camp season this summer thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response from families to our program during the previous several summers. If you have never heard of Art Farm, that's because we mostly advertise word-of-mouth. If you have an art and animal-loving nature enthusiast in your home, it's hard to beat Art Farm for a unique summer camp experience.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.