"We get to start all over!" Jossie

Photo by Jessie and Elle

The Rainey Room children never cease to amaze us. Last week, they made beautiful sculptures out of clay and other natural materials. We explained that most of them couldn't be fired because of the glass and other object embedded in them, some of which could melt and damage the kiln. We took photographs of our work, but kept the sculptures for a while because they were just so lovely. This week, we decided to recycle the clay for use in another project and prepared to say goodbye to our sculptures. We thought this would be difficult for the children. Instead, they were fascinated with the idea that the sea glass in their sculptures might do unpredictable things under very high temperatures. And they were even more thrilled at the idea of recycling their clay. Drowning their clay pieces in water and watching them disintegrate filled the children with delight, as did the thought of starting over and making something new. It was pretty special for all of us, and a good reminder of the children's resilience and flexibility. It was also a reminder that wonder and awe can be found in unexpected places.