Hugging Bubbles in Jackson Hole

The mountains of Jackson Hole have their own gravity — they pull you in, slow your steps, and remind you to breathe a little deeper. Bringing Hugging Bubbles here felt like more than setting up a booth; it was carrying a piece of Montana’s soil, herbs, and rivers into another valley where art and nature converge.

The show unfolded in rhythms only a mountain town can offer: sudden rain chasing us to zip the tent walls tight, thunder rolling over the peaks, light breaking through to illuminate rows of handmade work. In those pauses between storm and sun, people stepped inside not just to shop, but to share stories, laughter, and curiosity. Each exchange — someone discovering that soap could be carved like stone, someone marveling at how a shampoo bar could replace conditioner — reminded us why we create.

In the quiet moments after the show, a kind neighbor vendor told us about a wild hot spring tucked away in the valley. We followed their suggestion, and as we lowered ourselves into the mineral water, steam rose into the mountain air and time seemed to dissolve. It carried us back to our years in Japan, where bathing in natural springs was not luxury but ritual — a way of cleansing the body while softening the spirit. To find that same kind of refuge in Wyoming felt like the land was whispering: you are exactly where you need to be.

To be surrounded by painters, potters, jewelers, and sculptors is to be reminded that craft is a language. Soap, too, speaks. A swirl of clay tells of the earth it came from, a hint of herb recalls the meadow, a bar cradled in the hand carries the quiet labor of many hours. It is art meant to dissolve, leaving behind not permanence but renewal.

We left Jackson Hole weary yet deeply full — of gratitude, of conversations that linger, of inspiration to return with new work. Every trip shapes the next batch; every encounter imprints itself into lather. Next summer, we hope to bring back bars that carry both the memory of this show and the promise of what is still to come.

Until then, our workshop shelves are curing with new creations — explore the latest here.