Laurie Ceesay will teach students at the School of the Arts at Rhinelander how to create a portrait quilt, incorporating fabrics and jewelry. Her workshop “Whimsical Portrait Quilts” will provide participants with a simple pattern, then help them develop it into a portrait. They can even create a self-portrait that includes their own facial features.
Now in its 52nd year, the School of the Arts at Rhinelander features nearly 40 three-day workshops in visual arts, culinary arts, mind/body/spirit, performing arts, and writing on July 17-19. It emphasizes a supportive environment in which both new and experienced artists feel welcome.
Ceesay, who has taught at School of the Arts at Rhinelander before, thinks the event provides a conducive environment for creative experimentation.
“Rhinelander is a great yet small artsy community,” she says. “Everyone is very welcoming, and the other artists are very kindhearted.”
Self-image and beauty
In “Whimsical Portrait Quilts,” students will select the fabrics they want, cut out designs, and machine-sew borders before binding all the pieces together. Finally, they’ll draw on facial features and add their bling. They’ll walk away with a unique 18-inch wall hanging.
“The students will learn the raw-edged, fused applique technique I use in all my portrait quilts,” Ceesay says.
Ceesay, a native of Appleton, Wis., is a fiber artist who herself specializes in portrait quilts. Her work is inspired by the hair and fashion industry, pop culture, and retro looks from the 1940s-‘70s. Her quilts have been featured at national shows and on the PBS series “Quilting Arts TV.”
Ceesay explores issues of self-image and beauty in her quilts, and she hopes participants in “Whimsical Portrait Quilts” can express their own perspectives during the art-making process.
For more information about the School of the Arts at Rhinelander, contact director Lynn Tarnoff at ltarnoff@dcs.wisc.edu or 608-890-1424.