SoapSkeptics
What's goin' on, folks! Rosie McNeill and Andrea Garcia, here! We are starting this blog as the very beginning stages of what will become an adventure of a life time.
A little about us:
Andrea Garcia is graduating in May 2014 from the School of Visual Arts with a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in Visual and Critical Studies. That is basically a fancy title for art history, critical theory, and art practices. Andrea focuses mostly on sculpture and fiber arts. Andrea is inspired to make fine art objects by using conventional craft techniques to create both functional and dysfunctional works using fibers, wood, clay, wire, and other materials. Andrea just recently moved back to New Jersey after living in New York City for two years. Although her experience in the big apple was well worth the dollars and chaos, she feels there is something for her elsewhere... now the answer is to be sought, where?!
Rosie McNeill spent the last two years in California and Colorado, working, living, learning, and experiencing life. She has returned to the homeland of New Jersey and is ready to continue on a new adventure. Rosie aspires to be a tattoo artist, but in the meantime focuses her energy into weaving, crochet, and other handy crafts. A little opposite from Andrea's ideas of creating, Rosie is geared towards things with function and meaning such as dream catchers, handbags, and jewelry. She is really good at teacher!
Both artists have reached a fork in the road of life. Where shall we go next?! Should we just be what's expected of us and apply for big girl jobs?! What do we want to be!?
It seems serendipitous that we both moved back to our hometown at the same time after being away for years with nothing but a passion to create and explore the unknown future. We are going to take a risk. We are taking our blank pages and we're going to fill them with experiences and opportunity to grow, educate, and learn.
SoapSkeptics is just beginning and it is so exciting!
Our short term goal is to travel around North America to create a social documentary. This documentary will be about the diversity in culture and art throughout America. We live in a country with so many ideas of living, what is art, what is culture, what are traditions, how do people follow these ideas, and what are their perspectives on other areas as well as their own. We hope to expand the knowledge of how life is lived. We want to spread life experience to those who have never left their hometowns, we want to share the knowledge of those who have traveled the world. We want to show what art is, how it's made, how it is used, or not used in everyday life. We will take a month out of this summer to execute this project, blog about it, and also create cite specific weavings made out of natural recourses we find in the different towns/cities/villages we pass by. In the end, we will have a DVD and a printed book of the weavings we made across America.
After this adventure, we have a long term goal to make SoapSkeptics a center for studio and gallery space, and educational classes on craft and DIY's for people who are interested. Of course, we are understanding that life will throw us curve balls and obstacles to climb... this is why this long term goal is not so much as important as our summer adventure to create a Documentary about Culture and Art. SoapSkeptics also has the opportunity to travel to Lijiang, China to participate in a residency to film a similar documentary comparing and contrasting culture between New York City and Lijiang, China. If all goes well, and we receive the loving support we hope to achieve, we would love to take this opportunity for the Spring of 2015. But, we digress.
This blog will be utilized to spread the word of our adventures, along with the things we make! Please keep an eye out for updates on our KickStarter, news, and creative executions. :)
"To laugh is to risk appearing a fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk rejection.
To place your dreams before the crowd is to risk ridicule.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or love.
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave. He has forfeited his freedom. Only a person who takes risks is free."
-anonymous
Peace and Love,
SoapSkeptics
Andrea & Rosie.
Follow us on Instagram @soapskeptics
Story Time!
Joan gave us a tour of the farm, where we met the Jacob Sheep, the donkey and the horse! In the backyard there is a kiln and ceramic studio filled with beautiful and inspiring creations. Joanie was kind enough to show us her spinning wheels, wools, and looms. She gave us a little demo on how to do everything and also let us try spinning our own yarn with her wool. She showed us a collection of blankets, scarves, and weavings she has made in the past with her natural fibers along with hand spun yarn. 
Bob is a wonderful nature photographer, and he took some portraits of us while we were practicing the spinning wheel, to see more of his photography click here.
This experience was a spark that ignited a desire to continue to learn from others and also teach others. It's such a beautiful thing- to meet people with shared interest who are so willing and open to just talk and exist with others! Being human with other humans... 
