Abstract Soap Carvings

Carving into soap is a fun, clean and gentle introduction to working in three dimensions. Many of the young people I work with are resistant to working in clay; they often find it rather messy and frustrating to work in. With these students in mind, I started to look around for some other three dimensional materials that are low cost and accessible. My research led me to carving soap, a medium I'd never worked in before.

As the process of soap carving requires access to sharp cutting equipment, young people should be closely supervised throughout this activity.

When a student is presented with a block of soap and a variety of differently shaped blades, they will quite naturally want to see what kind of marks, shapes and lines can be made in three dimensions. This gentle, exploratory process can lead to particularly exciting sculptural work as the photographs below testify.

If you're looking for other lessons using three dimensional materials, here's a few options for you.

Wild Things in Clay
One Piece at a Time Construction
Wire Mesh Heads
Organic Forms Clay Sculpture
Secret Diary Sculptures