Featuring: Elizabeth Stettler

This post was originally published May 2013.

Today, we’re delighted to share this interview with Elizabeth Stettler, who is one of the many librarian/artists we’ve met through the Project.  Her lovely woodblock prints caught my eye, but her vision for the ideal library–a place where the entire genesis of an artwork is accessible– caught and held my imagination.  Enjoy! ~Erinn

Buffalo

Library as Incubator Project (LAIP): You’re both a librarian and an artist–tell us a little bit about yourself and your work.  How did you come to the library profession?  How do you see libraries influencing your artistic work / life?

Elizabeth Stettler (ES): I have a BFA in sculpture from the University of Iowa and an MSIS from the iSchool at the University of Texas at Austin.  I have worked in libraries for many years– I started as a volunteer in high school at the local public library, and now I work  in a paper conservation lab.  I am a very organized person and have always loved putting books in order on the shelves.  Later in my library career, I enjoyed helping people find the right book for whatever their needs were.  And now I have my dream job–repairing and restoring artwork at Carrabba Conservation.

I have also been an artist my whole life.  Both my parents are artists, so I suppose it’s in the blood!  My focus in my work right now is on woodcuts.  I love making woodcuts because they are a great mix of sculpture and printmaking–and I can cut and print on my dining room table without any fancy presses or chemicals.  Recently I learned to screen print and have been making screens from my woodcut images.

It may seem like libraries and art don’t go together in a person, but I feel like the orderliness, attention to detail, and OCD straightening directly relate to my artistic style.  My art is very detailed and exact–though I’m afraid my studio has gotten a little out of hand!

Grackle

LAIP: What are you working on right now that you’re excited about?

ES: I’m about to start a cockroach woodcut that I am excited about.  Texas has very different creatures than Iowa, and I like to create images of the especially weird and creepy ones– the Grackle was my first woodcut after moving to Austin.

LAIP: Tell us about the first library you remember playing a part in your artistic development.

ES: When I was in undergrad working on my sculpture BFA at Iowa, I got a job at the Art Library through a friend.  That job changed my life!  I loved being surrounded by wonderful art books.  I especially loved getting to see the new books before they went on the shelves and got a lot of inspiration from them.

LAIP: What’s your favorite library at the moment?

ES: My current favorite library (it’s so hard to choose!) would have to be the mobile and/or digital Sketchbook Project library— but only because my sketchbook (along with my mother’s and sister’s) is in it!  I love this project and find it really inspiring looking through everyone’s sketchbooks.  You never usually get to see sketchbooks, only finished pieces, so it’s a great inside look into the artistic process.

Note:  Check out our recent features on the Sketchbook Project and the Brooklyn Art Library, where the sketchbooks are housed when they’re not on the road.

LAIP: As an artist, what would your ideal library be like?  What would it look like? What kinds of stuff would you be able to check out, and what could you do there?

ES: I think it would be great to have a museum/library that includes everything an artist consulted, sketched, and used to create their artwork.  It would include all their art books that they looked at, their sketchbooks, their materials and, of course, the finished pieces.  You would be able to check out the sketchbooks and art books, but it should be a place to hang out and be inspired and sketch your own ideas–comfy chairs, secluded spots etc.

LAIP: Create a book list for us– what 5 titles do you wish you could find on the shelf at every library?

ES: This is a tough one!  I will just include my favorites:

• Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Shogun by James Clavell
• some kind of comprehensive art history textbook
• A Fine and Pleasant Misery by Patrick F. McManus (just for fun and because it reminds me of my childhood)

Where to find Elizabeth’s work:

• Visit her Etsy shop:  librarianartist.etsy.com
• Visit one of these brick-and-mortar shops in Austin TX: The Burlap Bag, ATown and Prima Dora.

 

Elizabeth Stettler is an artist living and working in Austin, Texas. She grew up in the Midwest and received her BFA from the University of Iowa where she specialized in sculpture and printmaking. She currently focuses on woodcuts and screen-printing.  Her work is created by hand in her home. Elizabeth is also an Assistant Lab Technician at a paper conservation lab where she performs preliminary treatment and repairs on works of art on paper and paper archives.  She holds an MSIS from the University of Texas at Austin with concentration on preservation and digital libraries.

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