Fabric Illustrator Kestrel Michaud Finds Freedom, Career in Artistic Quilting
When Kestrel Michaud first learned about fabric art, she had no idea she could make a career from it. However, thanks to Patreon and the discovery of quilting as an art, she’s able to make a living from her passion as a fabric illustrator.
Her passion is apparent in her work: Beyond the bright colors and intricate details, her quilts build worlds and fire the imagination.
“It’s incredible the quilts she’s done,” said Lynne Brezina, art services manager of Brevard Cultural Alliance. “She can quilt any theme you can imagine — gators, waves, even superheroes. No subject is off limits.”
Michaud’s always been artistic.
“My mother was an artist. My sister and I had crayons in our hands even before we learned to walk,” she said.
She had been taking sewing lessons through 4H when her mother took her to see a fiber artist’s presentation.
“I was 15. Watching her presentation and how she explained her process of making art out of fabric was the spark of inspiration,” Michaud said. “I completely fell in love with using fabric to make art.”
Even so, when she went to Ringling College of Art Design, she put the fabrics away, thinking there was no career for her passion. Then her illustration professor saw her high school portfolio.
“It was all fabric, and after that, he refused to let me do anything but fabric art,” she said.
Upon graduation, need again overcame passion, and she worked as a graphic designer for seven years. Then, she discovered quilting.
“I realized there actually was a career in fabric art, but it was in quilting. So that’s when I started my transition,” she said.
Her quilts are not bedding but sheer art to be hung and admired. Michaud’s works have appeared worldwide in galleries, museums, quilt shows, and more. She’s a board member of the Studio Art Quilt Associates and a member of the Florida Artist Group.
She is open to commissions, but generally creates from her imagination. She sells prints and patterns through her Etsy store and in galleries, but it wasn’t until she discovered Patreon that she was able to transition into a full-time career.
Patreon is an online platform where people support an artist with a monthly subscription in return for exclusive content. Depending on their subscription, Michaud’s patrons get an instructional video based on an ongoing quilt-along project and another on a design topic chosen by patrons. Patrons also get access to past videos.
“She’s a fantastic instructor,” Brezina said, adding that Michaud does demos and classes around Brevard.
Patreon is the steady paycheck that gives her the freedom to pursue her passions. For her, that’s exploring her steampunk fantasy world. Each quilt tells its own story, but she hopes someday she’ll have enough quilts to tell the complete tale of her world.
Michaud urges creatives to use their own imaginations in following their passions: “If you have an idea of how to create artwork in your own tradition, make it happen. Don’t be stuck in the old ways because that’s the way it’s always been done.”
See Kestrel’s Work
Her quilt “Bremen Town Musicians” will be on display May 27-July 28, 2024, at the 2024 Art Max Jax 74th Annual FLAG Exhibit and Symposium at the The Wilson Center for the Arts, Florida State College, in Jacksonville, FL.
See framed prints of her works at Urban Prime in Melbourne until 15 May.
Patreon: KestrelMichaud
Website: KestrelMichaud.com
Instagram: KestrelMichaud
Etsy: KestrelsArtQuiltShop
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