Tell us a bit about yourself name, location,
affiliations, personal stuff.
Hi. I'm Elisabeth Bentz. I've recently started calling the charming town of Ashland, Oregon home. I live with my husband and a few furry and feathered friends in a house tucked up in the trees above town. I have a small studio in my garage where I design, print and sew my line of hand-printed textiles.
I try to fill my life with nature, simplicity and beauty as much as possible. I have a weakness for ceramics, vintage fabrics and sun dresses. I almost wish it was summer time year round but I know that I'd miss fall. Ideally I would like to add bee-keeper to my job title but I share a neighborhood with bears so I think the bees will have to wait for now.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
When I'm not working on my textiles I enjoy domestic pursuits. Perhaps a little dorky but true. This summer I've been really excited about my vegetable garden. I finally have a spot with enough sun to grow healthy plants instead of the sad looking ones I've cultivated in the past. I'm already dreaming about making the garden much bigger next year. In addition to tending to my garden I also tend to a few animals. I have a dog, a cat, two finches and four chickens that seem to keep me quite busy and quite entertained. Also, my husband and I spend lots of time working on our house - anything from big remodeling projects to sewing pillowcases. I really appreciate that between the two of us we have the skills to turn a lot of ideas for our home into a reality.
I do leave the house sometimes too! I enjoy sifting through thrift shops. I usually manage at least one thrifting excursion per week. Also, Ashland has great access to trails and creeks so I'm lucky to fit a good amount of hiking and swimming into my routine.
What first made you want to become an artist?
It's definitely been something that has evolved over time. I've always had a strong interest in plants and animals so studying biology seemed like the logical path. While I was finishing up my BA in biology I took a couple of courses in science illustration just for fun. From that experience I started to realize that art was a good vehicle for channeling my interest in observing the natural world.
After college I took a handful of art courses. My favorite classes were screen printing and printmaking. I've also been fortunate to work for a few creative businesses, including a couple letterpress companies. I started screen printing on linen about four years ago when my friend Julie mentioned she was hosting a craft sale. I wanted to participate and that motivated me to experiment with something I'd been curious about for a while. I kept at it on and off as a hobby for a few years. In the last six months I've been focusing on trying to turn my hobby into a viable small business.
I also feel like I have to mention that living in Portland from 2002 to early 2009 played a big role in what I do now. The creative energy in that city and the talented and crafty friends that I met there have been a huge inspiration.
Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
I design, print and sew all of my items, so the process can feel a bit involved at times. The benefit to this approach is that I have a lot of creative control and every day in the studio is a little different. The one constant is that each day starts with coffee and catching up with at least a couple blogs.
A lot of my design ideas start when I'm taking a walk. I like to pick up little bits that catch my eye - leaves, stones, flowers. I usually write down my concept along with a really rough sketch so that I'm all set when I have a chance to sit down and spend more time on my idea. Once I have my illustration, I paint my design onto the screen. I like having the process be really hands on with no computer work in my design process.
Then I'm ready to screen print. I use 100% linen for my work because I love the look and texture and appreciate how it wears over time. Generally I have a set color that I picture in my head when I've come up with the design. Over time I'll try different colorways. I like watching my original idea evolve over time. Once I finish printing it's on to sewing. Originally I thought that I would print on pre-made napkins or tea towels but I couldn't find anything that was along the lines of what I envisioned. So I've become well acquainted with my sewing machine.
I guess I left out all of the fabric cutting, ink mixing, heat setting and the entire business part of my process. It's a lot to juggle but I think that helps keep me engaged with my work.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
My mom gave me a hand sewn sunflower pillow that my great grandmother made. I remember always loving it when I was little. The sunflower has rows and rows of petals made out of fabric scraps, each one separately folded and sewn. The fabrics are perfectly worn and faded. My great grandmother immigrated to the U.S. from Sweden and was known to be a very meticulous home maker. I like having this tangible connection to my past.
Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
books -
The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Allen Sibley
Shelf Pets (my favorite book when I was little - probably out of print now - all about taking care of small animals)
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingslover
movies-
Pretty in Pink
Il Postino
anything by Wes Anderson
anything by Hayao Miyazaki
David Attenborough nature films
music -
The Jayhawks
Avett Brothers
Blind Pilot
Jolie Holland
The Ethiopians
websites/blogs
frolic
ny times
3191
remodelista
craigslist
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
I don't know if this is advice but here is a little about my approach. I think that generally speaking it's such a good idea to pay attention to yourself as a customer and then use that info to help your own business. Pay attention to product photos that catch your attention and figure out why they appeal to you. That info can be really helpful when it's time to shoot your own photos. I believe that it is completely worth your while to spend time on producing well styled photos. Also, small things like a handwritten thank you note, good packaging and friendly customer service can impress me as a customer so I've incorporated those things into my business routine.
What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?
Instead of just one feature I think what I've been impressed with is just generally how easy Etsy is to use and also the amazing amounts of helpful information that can be found on the site. When I was about to start my shop I was a little hesitant that I would be overwhelmed with figuring it all out. I found the process to be a lot more straight forward than I expected. There are so many resources on Etsy that are there to help you be successful which I think is really terrific.
How do you promote your work?
My main promotional tool is my blog where I post about my work and also about what is interesting and inspiring to me in daily life. I've found that having an online presence and an audience in place (even if it's small!) is really beneficial. I don't get huge crowds to my blog but having a spot where people who are interested in my work can see what I'm up to and learn more about me has definitely been an asset. I've also been able to connect with other creative people through blogging. There is a strong network between bloggers and I've been really grateful when I've seen my work on someone's blog. It is pretty amazing to me how word can spread around the world from one little blog to another.
In ten years I'd like to be...
I think I'd be pretty happy in ten years if I could basically keep doing what I'm doing now but with a bit more wisdom and experience under my belt, maybe a few more hands helping out, a larger work table and a generous vacation policy in place. |
