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.

Alpacas Coming To Carlsbad Art Farm

Carlsbad Art Farm Summer Camp is all about learning how to draw and paint and otherwise make art rendered from life. At Art Farm, students work in outdoor studios surrounded by 10-acres of rustic, woodsy land where they learn how to draw animals from live models. Last summer our students met Picasso the miniature mule and Kandinsky the goat, plus a host of other visiting animals: horses, burros, baby doll lambs, dogs, and more (but no swine, in case anyone is worried about that).

New this summer are two young Alpacas. They are arriving in May and will be ready to model for students coming to Carlsbad Art Farm Summer Camp starting June 15. These alpacas (photo by Mehgan Murphy) were photographed at the Smithsonian National Zoo in January. As soon as we get pictures of our alpacas I will post them (I neglected to bring my camera when I traveled to California Criations in Temecula to purchase them, but these two look very similar). One alpaca is coming prenamed "Harry Potter" because he has coloring on his forehead that looks like the boy wizard's famous lightening bolt scar. The other has yet to be named, so if anyone has a name that sounds like a good fit for a brown alpaca then reply to this post.