About Art Farm
Welcome to Carlsbad Art Farm, a one-of-a-kind art school where elementary and middle school students come to create art in an outdoor classroom nestled on 10-acres of private rustic preserve in the heart of Old Carlsbad. We offer a comprehensive studio art curriculum taught by trained and talented artists with experience and an enthusiasm for teaching children.
We are not just another one-size-fits-all “art school” franchise. We believe that a good studio art education – like learning to play an instrument – is a discipline that requires cumulative practice and knowledge that should begin early and one that takes place across the life-span.
A common misconception is that a good art education somehow doesn’t require time or an investment or a qualified teacher. But what if we applied this thinking to any other kind of discipline – such as learning to play the piano?
To play the piano, even non-musical parents know that a music education starts with the basics: how to finger the piano keys, work the pedals, holds the fingers and wrists, read the music, and so on. From there, a student moves on to the more complicated concepts: melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and sonic texture. With time and practice, that student moves beyond merely playing to true creative expression at the keyboard.
Making art is no different. There are cumulative skills involved that begin with teaching the basics so that students may progress to move forward to greater artistic expression. The point is not to train young students for a future career in studio art any more than learning to play an instrument is necessarily leading to a career on the concert stage. The importance of a visual education is it lays the foundation for a life-long appreciation of form and beauty in the world. Moreover, as the great art educator Rudolf Arnheim said, “Visual thinking is not the exclusive reserve of the artist – it is used by every truly productive person.”
So when is a good time to start a formal art education? With very young children the process of making art – the simple joy of handling new materials – is the point. But starting at the second-grade level, most children are no longer satisfied with simply playing with paint. In fact they get frustrated and lose interest if they are not artistically challenged (which may be why all children start out loving art, but start fretting that they’re no good. The art is in them: what they lack is an art education). Starting at this age, students want to know how the artist makes art. They are capable of greater control of their materials and more focused observation of the world about them. What the young artist needs now are the tools, concepts and proper materials necessary to creatively convey what he or she sees and imagines.
Our approach at Art Farm is simple and dates back to the Renaissance. We start by teaching drawing from direct observation: the core discipline that opens the floodgate of all art education. At Art Farm, we take children out of the four-walled classroom and engage them in the outdoors. We focus them on the natural world by using live animal models and drawing inspiration from the rustic natural landscape of the school. We instruct them using artist-grade materials. We hone drawing skills and move into painting, sculpture, and other media. Children, animals, the outdoors, making art, small classes taught by artist teachers, an authentic approach to a studio art education – it’s a perfect storm for instilling a life-long appreciation and love of art.
