Montgomery County Community College Art Assistant Professor Michael Connelly has found a way for his Ceramics students to do their art projects while at home by instructing them to use materials they can find in nature.

“Students who take Ceramics at the College love to get their hands dirty,” said Connelly.

To inspire his students, Connelly shared a documentary of the work created by world-renowned British sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, “Rivers and Tides.”

Goldsworthy makes sculptures and art using items such as ice, rocks, leaves, and sticks.

As he creates something, he photographs the different stages of its development.

Then when he is done, he leaves his art to gradually blend into the surrounding surroundings through natural erosion.

The assignment was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 20.

Students also wrote short reflection essays as part of the assignment on their projects and the creative process involved.

When the projects were completed, Connelly was impressed both by the final works and essays, as well as how his students embraced the assignment.

“I feel the written descriptions are incredibly poetic, as are the earthworks,” he said.

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