Janet Bolyard - Complete Guide to Soap Carving: Tools, Techniques, and Tips

2018 by Janet Bolyard and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552.

Complete Guide to Soap Carving is an original work, first published in 2018 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

Print ISBN 978-1-56523-921-0

eISBN 978-1-60765-497-1

For a printable PDF of the patterns used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at , stating the ISBN and title of the book in the subject line.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bolyard, Janet, author.

Title: Complete guide to soap carving / Janet Bolyard.

Description: Mount Joy [Pennsylvania] : Fox Chapel Publishing, [2018]

Identifiers: LCCN 2018017239 | ISBN 9781565239210 (pbk.)

Subjects: LCSH: Soap sculpture--Technique. | Carving (Decorative arts)

Classification: LCC TT916 .B65 2018 | DDC 736/.95--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018017239

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Because working with soap and other materials inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the readers use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.

Step-by-step photo illustrations: Janet Bolyard

Studio photography by Mike Mihalo:

restored advertisement image from Boston Public Library via Wikimedia Commons

restored advertisement image from Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons

photo of Brenda Putnam from Archives of American Art via Wikimedia Commons

Shutterstock: pages Sukhothai: Naywan

This book is dedicated to some very special people in my life.

To my husband, Jon, thank you for always being there at my beck and call when I need wood cut, great ideas, or sharper tools.

A special thank you to our two children, Sean and Crystal, who have given us many blessings and wonderful grandchildren. Thank you to all of you soap carvers for your ideas, support, love, and patience as this hobby has grown over the years. An extra special thanks goes out to my mom and my brother Jerry, who have encouraged me for years to pursue my dreams. Dad, I know you are looking down from heaven with a proud smile on your face. I definitely could not have accomplished any of this without all of you.

My Mission

There is nothing better than getting a gift that someone handcrafted for you. This special item will be part of your life and possibly the lives of generations to come, and since it was handmade with lots of love, its meaning will far surpass that of any gift mass-produced in some faraway factory.

My aim with this book is to teach the craft of carving and do my part to help keep the art of carving alive. I hope this book inspires those who have the desire to carve, no matter how old or young they are.

B eginning at an early age I had a passion for art. In fifth grade in Arkansas City, Kansas (a few moons ago) we had a traveling art teacher who would teach us various projects each week. I always looked forward to this time, because it always made me very happy and it gave me a chance to express myself. Moreover Ms. Perkins was very inspiring. I began to dream of teaching art someday myself. One day, the project she had for us was to sculpt something from a bar of Ivory soap. My first soap carving was a poodle, because that was our family pet. I was so proud of myself because my soap poodle took first prize in the class. My lifelong passion for carving began that day. I still have that feeling of happiness inside me every time I carve.

My portrait, in airbrush

My mom liked to draw and pursued it for a while before she handed her books over to me. During the summers, she would sign me up for park and recreation programs that were mostly focused on art. Later on in life I found out that my maternal grandfather had been quite a metal fabricator, working in the roundhouse for Rock Island Railways. So it became clear where my love of art and creating originated. Along with my family background, all of the encouragement I have received from my art teachers and family, both then and now, has brought me to my successes today. I have been very blessed to be mentored and encouraged by many renowned woodcarvers from all over the country.

My love for teaching carving came after my 25-year career managing physicians offices. My husbands career brought us back to Arizona, where I planned on continuing my career in healthcare until retirement. But... an opportunity popped up. I found out there was a Woodcraft store near me, so I thought it would be a great time to take a break from unpacking boxes and check it out. To make a short story shorter, they just happened to be looking for a sales representative/woodcarving instructor. I was super excited! I asked my husband, Jon, what he thought of the idea, and you know how woodworking tools (especially power tools) make men smile. Hed been dreaming of a new band saw, and my new job could help make that dream come true. My own dream of teaching woodcarving and learning more about woodworking was about to become reality as well. He said yes (of course) and has been very supportive of my woodworking adventure. And yes, he did get his band saw. So Im proud to say I have been with Woodcraft for ten years now, which has given me the opportunity to teach woodcarving for a living and broaden my knowledge and skills in many aspects of woodworking.