This story melts my heart… I am so impressed with these students who have used my wind chimes as inspiration for their school project, and it has been a fantastic journey watching their progress…
I was initially contacted by Jen Nelson, the school teacher at a school in Moorhead, Minisota, USA. After hearing about the project she was working on with her students and planning on donating the finished wind chimes to the Hospice of the Red River Valley, I was more than happy to help by passing a few tips and technique suggestions for making the chimes.
Texture plates were used to decorate the chimes, and a range of coloured underglazes were painted on to finish them off.
This was a great learning project for the children, and I think you will agree it looks as though they had a lot of fun making the wind chimes!
Jen said:
“I started this project as a service learning project to introduce students to the Hospice organization and the journey all people take from life to death. I feel that art can communicate things we are unable to say with words. I thought this wind chime project would be a way to introduce students to the joy of making something to give to someone else, which for me is a huge part of why I make art.
A fellow teacher told me about how she had wind chimes in her garden that were given to her when her Dad died. When they chime in the wind, it often times brings her back to him. Very touching! So, I came up with memory chimes that will be given to families in the care of Hospice when their loved one passes on.”
What a lovely story… I hope this has passed on a touch of inspiration to anyone else reading.
It has definitely inspired me to make a start on some new chimes!
A huge well done to all of the students who took part in this project, you all did a great job!
{ my ceramic wind chimes… }
