The Art of Soap

The first soaps I made were certainly not what I would call "works of art." It was good soap - well crafted, lovely scent, good lather - all from a well-researched basic soap recipe...but work of art? Only in my own, proud soapmaking heart.

But really...what is it that distinguishes "art" from "craft"? Why couldn't my soaps be works of art? That's one of the questions that editor Debbie Chialtas explores in her book The Art of Soap. In the book, she collects the stories and soaps of 24 unique soap makers from around the world.In each of the unique stories, you see the overlap between art and craft...and while each of the soaps is different from the next, they all share one characteristic - a true passion for their soap making.

The book is divided into four sections:

• Philosophy
• Inspiration
• Technique
• Presentation

Philosophy explores the why people started making soap. What was the hook? What happened in their lives that made them look for other options? What intrigued them about the colors or ingredients or scents? Living a more natural, earth centered, vegetarian, Eco-friendly life framed the philosophy of the organic green tea rice bran soap of Brown Rice Family.

Inspiration relates what keeps these soap makers going batch after batch. From the prayer practice that Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake incorporates into her soap making at Monastery Creations, to the graphic design and creative stories and themes of the soaps from Haus of Gloi, to a fascination with the irony of soaps that look like germs and bacteria from Cleaner Science Soap - all of these soap makers have found something in the world that inspires and informs their soap making.

Technique - here is where the real "art" making happens - the soap makers featured in this section have truly embraced their inner artists and work to create wild, whimsical, beautiful soaps that, like any painting in a museum, work with color, shape, texture and form. But in the case of these soaps - they include a practical use - getting you clean!

Presentation - this section is all about how the soap looks on the shelf - from the geometric lines of Allison Hill's Epically Epic Soap inspired by "...a personal story, bits of pop culture, and sometimes my favorite desserts" to the elegant packaging inspired by "the solace of my grandmother's homespun world" of Elea Lutz of Nostalgia Organics - the finished product is the key here.

So what is it that inspires your soap making?

Do you love the cooking and science in creating your own soap recipe, or perhaps it's the experimentation and surprise of using natural colorants. Perhaps scent is the most important, so is your hook into creative soap making.

Whatever your hook, whatever your passion, you are bound to find a kindred spirit in Debbie Chialtas' collection of soap making stories "The Art of Soap." I can relate with some part of practically every soap maker in the book. Words like searched...discovered...experimented...created...inspired...addicted flow throughout each of the stories...and will touch and inspire the soap making heart within you.

In my area, I'm fortunate to be near a number of difference soap makers. Every month or two we get together for dinner to chat, share, compare and celebrate. Reading through this book was like one of those dinners - where the people around the table are wildly different except for the one shared passion for making beautiful soap creations.

Share with us how YOU got started making soap!