Denny Seyller: Class of 2023

Name: Denny Seyller
Location: Chesapeake, Virginia

Tell us a bit about yourself. What are some of your interests and hobbies?
I am retired from 45 years of sales, marketing, and distribution. In addition to rug hooking, I like to read, walk, and putz around with my classic 1958 Pontiac Bonneville.

How did you get introduced to rug hooking?
My wife, Susi, had been hooking rugs for about 15 years, and I was her designated finisher. After whipping rugs for 15 years, I decided to become a rug hooker and took my first class at the 2006 ATHA convention in New Orleans.

What was your first project?
I began my first project in the class with Gail Dufresne at the New Orleans’ ATHA convention. The main subject of the rug was my 1958 Bonneville, with a geometric setting morphing into grass and trees, lettering, and an arrowhead border. This is still my favorite rug.

Is there one rug that stands out as being particularly memorable?
Muck is a very memorable rug as it was based on a portrait painted of my father while he was in Europe during World War II. This was my first attempt at hooking a person and their face. Muck was hooked in a class with Janet Williams and was my third project. I submitted the piece for Celebration XXIII, and it was accepted as a finalist.

Is there a particular style of rugs that you're most interested in hooking?
I like to work on projects with a lot of details and shading accomplished by value variations, textures, and dip-dyed wools. I also like to hook realistic-looking animals and took several classes with Judy Carter to build my skills in this genre.

What's your favorite part about hooking a rug?
My favorite part of hooking is bringing the subject of the rug to life by the use of color and texture.

What's a piece of advice you'd give to a new rug hooker?
I like to tell new rug hookers that it is okay to take out hooked areas and redo them with a new color or style. One should never feel that they must accept what has been hooked based on the original plan. Changes can make a rug go from good to wonderful.

What do you love most about Celebration?
Celebration provides the reader an opportunity to absorb the various styles and ideas that the rug hooking artists offer to the craft.

First Car
Fasnacht
The Procession

First Car

First Car—1949 Anglia, 25” x 17”, #2- to 4-cut hand-dyed wool on rug warp.
Designed and hooked by Denny Seyller, Chesapeake, Virginia, 2022.

First Car is adapted from the only photo that I have of my 1949 Anglia. I worked for two months during the summer of 1961 at Scout Camp, earning $200, of which I used $100 to buy the car and $61 for insurance.

Fasnacht

Fasnacht, 28” x 39”, #2- to 4-cut hand-dyed wool on rug warp.
Designed by Denny Seyller from a painting by David Galchutt (with permission) and hooked by Denny Seyller, Chesapeake, Virginia, 2021.

The Procession

The Procession, 29” x 37 1/2”, #2- to 5-cut hand-dyed and as-is wool; velvet, ribbon, chain, and thread embellishments. Designed by LC’s Wool ’n Silk based on artwork by David Galchutt and hooked by Denny Seyller, Chesapeake, Virginia, 2020.