My Studio Library
There is a small but mighty library that lives in my studio, and it might be one of my greatest tools. These books aren’t there to be tidy or impressive. They’re there to be used — thumbed through, leaned open on a table, marked by time and paint-splattered fingers. When I need reminding of color, courage, or how someone else once solved a problem I’m facing, I reach for a book, a person, a friend.
One of my favorite rituals is frolicking through used bookstores. Truly — frolicking feels like the right word. I move slowly, pulling art books from shelves, feeling their weight, 100% without shame judging them by their covers, and flipping pages to see if the images are clear, rich, generous, and beautifully printed. I love books with quality paper, the right feel, thoughtful reproductions, and covers that feel like objects in themselves. I know it's silly, but I always look to see what's underneath the dust covers. My goal is to find books, with life, thoughtful reproductions, able to be digested without too much heavy jargon, and books that are a work of art in their layout and design. They are the kind of books I want surrounding me in my studio, thoughtfully curated, like a good group of warm friends. Truly that's what they are. Many of my art tools act as friends. If I don’t have the time to go frolic around town, or to go meet with a friend, these books act as a frolic day built right into my studio, and better yet, a day with friends. People who have encountered the same thirst for creativity, the same explosive feeling inside when light hits a leaf, people who feel the weight of massive historical events and yet still wrestle with form and shape - keeping hope flowing through their creativity. They are the quiet companions I have with me as I hunker down in my studio.
Libraries matter. I am a firm believer in this that people should curate libraries for their homes, for their guests, for their children. Be as intentional about it as any other form of entertainment, learning, endeavor, or adventure. Libraries should grow and be abounding, used and poured over. Public ones, personal ones, borrowed ones. They hold the long conversation of creativity — proof that ideas don’t appear out of nowhere and that we’re always building on what’s come before. I’ve always said there is no reason to reinvent the wheel. And while I can't sit down and ask questions face to face with Sargent or Mary Cassatt, I can certainly open a book and transport myself into their presence, knocking at their door. I’ve learned so much simply by letting their work keep me company while I make my own.
I will never purge my library. I don’t believe in stripping a studio bare of its references or memories. These books carry seasons of my life, shifts in my taste, and the steady reassurance that inspiration is not fleeting — it’s patient. Some days it suits up and shows up without motivation. A studio library isn’t clutter; it’s a kind of hearth. And I can’t imagine making art without mine close by. They make up my cheering squad, my familial inheritance, and a source of encouragement to suit up and show up and work things out!
I have searched for sources for my curated studio library that I’ve collected for over twenty years and have compiled a list HERE. These books are quality, otherwise I wouldn’t have or suggest them to you. You are grabbing a winner with any of these. Remember, if you are wanting to build a library, if you’re an artist wanting to build a library-- let it take time. Enjoy the process. This is a beautiful process that you don’t want to rush through to have. Let it be slow, let it be simple, let it be curated over time. One book here and there. Enjoy them. Don’t build a library just to have it. It's better to have two books and know them well than a library just for show.
xo,
Sarah Elizabeth
I love reading books new , old , borrowed & also looking at coffee table books . My friend and I exchange books . It’s frees the mind from social media & it’s very satisfying to read . I also like doing puzzles , there’s an artist that has his art turned into puzzles , it’s Michel Delacroix. You might find him in your art books . He is French .
I love reading books new , old , borrowed & also looking at coffee table books . My friend and I exchange books . It’s frees the mind from social media & it’s very satisfying to read . I also like doing puzzles , there’s an artist that has his art turned into puzzles , it’s Michel Delacroix. You might find him in your art books . He is French .