Aerie Art Garden

Located on a private 20-acre desert estate, Aerie Art Garden is the property of artists Bruce and Clonard Thomas. More than three decades ago, they left their teaching jobs and set out to create a Utopian paradise on the desert hillside. By providing water, nurturing indigenous plants, and moving granite rocks one at a time, they formed an oasis in the Cahuilla Hills to surround their personal art studios.

The garden was not formally planned; it just "grew organically like a garden should," according to the owners. Today, Aerie Art Garden teems with birds and small wildlife. It features sculpture and botanical gardens, shade and pond areas, and internationally known watercolor art galleries, which display the work of the two residents. They work in work in a variety of mediums, including poly-resins, acrylics, and metals for sculptures as well as two-dimensional paintings.

The property is available for corporate outings, meetings, retreats, or conferences. Photo shoots can be arranged, too, and Bruce Thomas also conducts inspirational seminars and hands-on painting workshops upon request, as well as garden tours. Aerie Art Garden is located five minutes from Palm Desert and 30 minutes from Palm Springs at 71-225 Aerie Road Palm Desert, California 92260-6351.