Leigh Drake

Clay has always been my students’ favorite medium to explore. It’s the medium they request starting on day one of art class. For this project, students ventured into making clay pieces that produce sound when strung together as whimsical ceramic wind chimes.

Nature is always a hot topic for students at any age. All aspects of nature— from plant life to wildlife—touch people’s hearts in a way that other things don’t. As a class, we ref lected on the types of environments in our community here in Virginia, from the vast mountain landscapes to the beaches, which are literally in students’ backyards. We discussed the importance of protecting our environment and build- ing a world of nature advocates. Students then wrote in their sketchbooks about their experiences with nature.

Next, I introduced the assignment: Students were asked to design a wind chime that ref lects their experiences with nature. I encouraged them to create six to eight clay pieces for the chimes. Each chime would be a symbol for their concept of nature; they could use a repeated design or create a different design for each chime.

Students were asked to design a wind chime that reflects their experiences with nature.

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