8/19/2014 San Antonio

8/19/2014

Howdy Ya'll !

Today we started the day off early and got some work done on our sketchbooks. We were able to make some breakfast and start exploring San Antonio by 11 am. Doerte Weber gave us many suggestions on where to go and what to do, so we began with the Southwest School of Art.

Public Library- awesome architecture!

At the Southwest School of Art, there is a public library filled with public art including a beautiful glass blown chandelier that was just MIND BLOWING! Then we made our way to the gallery space of the school where we saw some impressive fiber arts, ceramic works, paintings, and mix media art works. The Southwest School of Art has recently become a credited university for one to obtain a BFA, but prior to that, it used to be a place to learn about paper making, printmaking, fiber arts, ceramics, and painting via workshops and classes. This school is the only real art school in San Antonio, and based from our own personal observations, it has a very open minded mentality which allows for students and faculty to express themselves uncensored by "high brow art culture/institutions" which we found really inspiring.

We walked around sunny San Antonio for a bit and grabbed some food at The Cove where we were pleased to find $2 PBR's and some delicious burgers… and outdoor seating! Doerte got us in touch with a fiber artist around our age named Casey Galloway.

Casey Galloway @ Southwest School of Art Gallery

Casey was interested in our project and was more than willing to do an interview. So after lunch we met with her at the Southwest School of Art and got to see more of the fiber studios, talk to her about fiber culture, San Antonio culture, and how she gathers inspiration to create her art works. She is a native to this city and was brought up by a grandmother who was very knowledgable on herbs, natural dyes for fibers, and gardening and she has carried most of those young seeds into her practice. She has recently been given the position to be the head of the department for the Bachelors of Fine Arts in the Fiber Arts department for the Southwest School of Art which is a HUGE DEAL and we are SO EXCITED for her to make some awesome positive changes. Casey expressed to us that most of the people who take these fiber arts classes tend to restrict themselves into the traditional technique of fiber art and weaving, but we all seemed to agree that in 2014, SO MUCH can be done experimentally, artistically, and sculpturally with yarn and a loom. We can go on and on about our conversation with her today, but we'll save it for the documentary.


But check out Casey Galloway's work here: www.caseygalloway.com || and also check out her company Wool Tree Yarn hand dyed yarns: http://www.luckyeweyarn.com/wool-tree-yarn.html





But check out our MAMAS! They got together today and had a nice little dinner on Andrea's porch and texted us this picture. #1 SoapSkeptical moms <3<3

Downtown San Antonio

Exploring little shops at El Mercado

After our interview we hung out, explored some stores at El Mercado, got some ice cream, and made out way back to the Lozano's apartment to get ready for dinner. Carlos was talking about some real authentic Mexican seafood restaurant called El Bucanero, so we went…. and it was GOOOOOOD. Good food, good music, and good company all around!




We're living the slow life here in San Antonio, there's not much else to report on except that we have been enjoying this sunshine, enjoying the friendly people, observing the plants, nature, and culture and just soaking it all in.


Hope you all are having a good weekend and stay tuned because tomorrow we will interview Doerte Weber and explore some more of this beautiful city before heading out to New Mexico on Thursday!


Peace!

SoapSkeptics
Andrea + Rosie

Bye Houston! Hey San Antonio!

8/18/14

We both had our first hostel experience last night/today. It was interesting to say the least but a good time. We got to catch up on our sketchbooks and relax for a bit and then explored a little bit of Houston. The Rothko Chapel was our first stop. For those of you who have never hear of it, we suggest you check it out. Rothko worked on these large scale paintings to fill a chapel and be used as a spiritual space for all religions and beliefs. It's an experience Andrea had always heard about in her time at The School of Visual Arts and finally got a chance to see it in person! There is no picture taking inside and for good reasons. That building was way too peaceful for something so harsh like technology but we did get some pictures of the amazing sculpture right outside.

We also found a swing next door hanging under a gigantic tree… looking at that just screamed southern stereotype and we were loving it.

The last place we visited in Houston was the Gerald D. Hines waterfall park. It was huge and very beautiful but to be honest I think the one thing we liked about it the most was the refreshing mist coming off of it because it was HOT today!


After driving for 3/4 hours we finally arrived at Doerte Weber's gorgeous home in San Antonio, TX. Doerte is a weaver by nature. Weaving has been in her family for years and she's picking it up again to create some really amazing pieces involving plastic bags and caution tape.

We plan to interview her during our 2 day stay in San Antonio but today she showed us around a bit and it felt like we both got a free tour of the city. Doerte knows where all the great galleries are and local art schools. We even got to see her studio space that is actually in the Southwest School of art. We drove through some galleries, shops, and local event locations off Guadalupe and also got to learn a little bit about the history and culture in San Antonio being so close to the Mexican boarder. We are excited to see what will be experienced in this city!

Until then, Goodnight!

SoapSkeptics
Andrea + Rosie

Day 3: 8/11/14

Yesterday was a slowwww day. We woke up in our cabin in the Applachian Center for Craft and explored around. We met with Jeanne Brady, the head of the Fiber Arts Department and she showed us around the campus. We got to see some of her amazing work in her studio as well. She led us to THE BEST RESTAURANT in Smitheville, which was surprisingly Mexican! It was sooo good. Rosie and I then ended up exploring a bit, we walked down to the river that surrounds the area. Soon after it started to downpour for the rest of the afternoon so we just stayed inside and took it easy: painting, napping, watching movies, etc.

Drawing in the rain

The Appalachian Center For Craft

In the evening we met with our neighbor, Kelsey, who is an amazing fiber artist working primarily with embroidery. She was ever so kind and made us dinner! She is the next interview, but it's not ready yet so that will probably be featured in tomorrow's blog post.

collecting plants for our TN weaving

We ended the night with a much needed viewing of Britney Spears' classic, Crossroads circa 2002. We can really identify with her struggles on the road... we also may have a little bit of cabin fever. But that's okay because we're about to go out to the river for a nice little swim today! The weather is beuatiful in TN right now, so we're going to take advantage before we head to Atlanta to interview with Lynn Sisler.

Until then, folks!
~
SoapSkeptics

SNEAK PEAK OF ARTISTS WE'LL BE MEETING ON THE ROAD!

Hello Friends!

TEN MORE DAYS and SoapSkeptics will be on the road! We have been planning, sending thank you rewards to our Kickstarter backers, making appointments with artists, and saving our pennies!

We are so excited and share some of the artists we will be meeting with on our trip:

Jeanne Brady From The Craft Center in Tennessee

Lynn Sisler from Georgia

Ally Clements and her morbidly beautiful road kill jewelry in Alabama

Charles Benfield in New Orleans

Doerte Weber from Texas

Miles H. Lewis Printmaker and Painter from California

And Many More!!

WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THESE AWESOME TALENTED ARTISTS AND HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THEIR PRACTICE!

Stay tuned and don't forget to follow us on all of our social networks:

instagram: soapskeptics

vimeo.com/soapskeptics

facebook.com/soapskeptics.1

PEACE~

Artist Perspective: Amy Wilson

This week we are featuring Amy Wilson, an artist based in Jersey City, NJ. In this video, she discusses her views on art making culture, physical space influencing her work, and her perspective on how today's society embraces the do-it-yourself process of creation from beginning to end. Check out more of Amy Wilson's art work at amy-wilson.com

Apologies about the wind, we are working on getting better sound equipment ASAP!

SoapSkeptics has been creating these Artist Perspective short videos as practice and examples as to what our full length documentary film will consist of after we meet with artists across America and film them during our road trip this August. Stay tuned with what SoapSkeptics is doing:
soapskeptics.blogspot.com
facebook.com/soapskeptics.1
instagram: @soapskeptics
soapskeptics@gmail.com

Peace~

THIS WEEK'S ARTIST PERSPECTIVE WITH ARLENE THAYER

Artist Perspective: Arlene Thayer

Arlene Thayer is a fiber artist, yarn spinner, and writer from Glenville, PA. In this week's SoapSkeptics interview, Arlene talks to us about how the world of fiber art is growing in today's culture, her views on the business side of being an artist, and how she came to become so involved in the blogosphere for her knowledge and practice in fiber art. Thank you Arlene for inviting us to your studio and being so hospitable and kind!

To see more of her works and writing and keep up with her whereabouts visit:

www.spinartiste.com

www.fiberygoodness.com

SoapSkeptics is an art group made up of Rosie McNeill and Andrea Garcia. We are traveling across the country in August 2014 to meet with more local artists [of all mediums] and discuss how culture and society shape the ways in which they make/view art. 

Keep up with what SoapSkeptics is doing:

Blog: soapskeptics.blogspot.com

Instagram: @soapskeptics

Facebook: facebook.com/soapskeptics.1

Youtube: youtube.com/soapskeptics

Vimeo: vime.com/soapskeptics

Email: soapskeptics@gmail.com

Help us make this project possible- visit our Kickstarter Campaign to help us reach our goal of $5,000

kickstarter.com/projects/1793708100/soapskeptics-traveling-across-usa-to-film-art-and

Peace.

Destination Moon Music and Art Festival 5/31/14

The Art Work & Installations Exhibited by Andrea Garcia of SoapSkeptics at the Destination Moon Summer Festival 2014!

Andrea collaborated with Mac Milsark to create this fun interactive aquatic trash themed installation for the festival. The installation consists of a large weaving made of scrap materials, packaging materials, and assorted fabrics, plastic bag sculpture, and chicken wire sculptures, along with some crochet bed sheets by Andrea.

To view more of Andrea Garcia's professional work visit: www.andreagarciavasquez.com

To view more information on Destination Moon visit: www.destinationmoon.us

Oh Hey, Rosie!

Between Bands

End of the evening, enjoying some Irish Improv

Irish Singing Circle

~

Peace

Andrea Garcia of SoapSkeptics celebrated the end of her studies at the School of Visual Arts

May 1, 2014
Andrea Garcia of SoapSkeptics exhibited her works in the Visual and Critical Studies Program Open Studios at the School of Visual Arts. This evening of art appreciation was the final step until she graduates with her fellow amazingly talented peers.
Here are some pictures of the exhibition along with SoapSkeptics enjoying the installations.

To see more of Andrea Garcia's fine art work visit: www.andreagarciavasquez.com

Our Mourning Mother I & II
Wood, Acrylic, Yarn, Mask

Feelings of White and Tan
10 ft weaving made of wool yarn and cotton string

Placenta
7 ft interactive sculpture
chicken wire and 100% virgin wool

Self Portrait.
Twine and Wire

The Way Things Hang and The Way Paths Cross
Nylon Rope and Linen

Andrea and Rosie from SoapSkeptics with friend, Agatha :)

Untitles Landscape
Rebar, wood, linen, paint

Shearing of the Sheep At Jenny Jump Farm

Jacob Sheep Frantically Wondering Whats Going To Happen Next

What a beautiful day it was today on April 19, 2014. The SoapSkeptics gang woke up with the vibrant sun and headed up to North West New Jersey to visit Jenny Jump Farm to help out with shearing the sheep!

Tom's Set Up

Friends of the Jenny Jump Farm traveled from all around the tristate area to work together and get this thing going.

We had an expert sheep shearer, Tom, do a quick, swift, and delicate job at giving all 19 jacob sheep and 1 angora goat nice hair cuts for the hot summer to come. He really knew what he was doing to calm these sheep down and get the job done quickly.

Joanie and Liz led the sheep to and from the barn, to shearing area, to outside. 

Workin Workin Workin

Then there was a whole crew of ladies carrying out the fleeces and picking out the vegetation, dirt, poo, and whatever else these jacob sheep had going on in their fleece (which honestly wasn't much to clean because Joanie keeps them in such good shape), then we sorted each fleece by individual sheep where they will then be taken to be professionally washed and eventually turned into amazing wools of gray, brown, black, and white.

Bundles of Fleece Sorted by Individual Sheep

We also discovered that the left over/scrap fleece that will not be used to make wool CAN BE USED for fertilizer in your garden! So none of it goes to waste at all!

Jacob Sheep Soaking Up The Sun With Their Skin

We were so happy to contribute our helping hands to the farm and so grateful to have met new and wonderful folks who love helping out, talking, and fiber arts as much as we do!

Jacob Is In Our Trunk And We Are Excited

 SoapSkeptics also brought home a new friend thanks to Joanie and Bob~
A four harness table loom! 

Our Fiber Studio Lookin So Good Now That We Have Jacob

We named him Jacob, after the Jacob Sheep at Jenny Jump Farm :)





He will help us make wonderful things, we don't know what yet, but whatever it is, it will be wonderful.
So much thanks to Joanie and Bob for another amazing visit to your farm and home!

Don't forget to follow this blog 

& also our instagram: @soapskeptics 

to keep up with our adventures 

and creations (like what we'll make with this table loom)!

Peace,
SoapSkeptics~