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 Students Show Off Their Work

These session three campers display paintings completed on the last day of camp last week (click image for a larger view). During the week, students learn to sketch animals; color mix using a limited pallet; how to block in their subject for a painting; a little about animal anatomy, and then use the colors they create on their own pallet to render their subject (in this case: a bunny, chickens and a mouse on a wheel). These students will be entering Grade 4 this fall. First row center is Emerson Coman, who will be starting Grade 6 this fall, and whose mother, Perrin, owns and directs Art Farm. Directly behind Emerson is Kris Finch, who teaches painting at Art Farm.

For more on camp life, read previous recent posts on this blog and visit our website. Art Farm has several sessions still open for enrollment (see previous post) and our Saturday morning art class continues through the summer and year-round. Adults interested in taking classes this coming fall at Art Farm should email the director at CarlsbadArtFarm.com. Please indicate your level of experience and what type of classes you are interested in taking. Also, please type "Art Farm Classes" in the subject line so we don't delete your message as potential spam.

All registration forms for camp are available on our website under the "Camp" tab. When sessions fill, we post that information on our blog immediately. For more information, contact the director at www.CarlsbadArtFarm.com or call 760-688-6147.