'Hands on, experimental with a strong emphasis on using found materials and inventive applications of textile and mixed media processes as part of the exploration of developing a 'creative language (West Dean College).
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| War and Gardens, Garden Museum and Age UK Bromley and Greenich Images kind permission of the Garden Museum and johonephotography |
Workshops and commissions are delivered to groups, exhibitions or projects, with an emphasis on individual development of ideas in response to processes, techniques and themes.
The overlooked details found on a daily walk or memories of a favourite place combined with the use of found materials can be a rich resource for inspiration. As is reflected in her work and publications, Cas seeks beauty and meaning from the everyday connections we make the urban and natural landscape.
Use the contact form for further information or to discuss your ideas for a project or workshop.
Tracing Shadows and Mark-Making in Textiles, 26 July to 1 August 2019
Explore the use layers and transparency by altering found
textiles and papers through a variety of mark-making, hand and
machine stitch and textile technique with dyes and shadow prints to
create new surfaces for stitch. You will be encouraged to take
risks, develop ideas through sketchbooks with a strong emphasis on
inventive use of found and reclaimed material as an inspirational
source, as you progress with individual projects (full waiting list only)
Focus on colour, line, texture and mark-making with fabric, paper and stitch. Develop a playful and experimental approach to gaining inspiration for textile and mixed media work, enlisting found objects for inspiration.
UK workshops
Kent Adult Education new courses for 2019-20 include a one day monoprint course on 25th April and and a two day introduction to expressive drawing on 16th July in 2020. All courses can be found by searching under my name here.
Spaces Places Traces at Lund Studios in North Yorkshire Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th June 2019. The urban and natural landscape, from light raking over a ploughed field, bright summer flowers, to shadows and shapes in building provide the stimulus in the creation of mixed media textile and painted work. (full wait list only I will back in June 2020)
Stitch-Sketch workshop. Huguenot Museum on Saturday 10th August. Introduction to developing ideas for mixed media artwork (full)
19-20th August, Mark, Layer and Stitch the Sketchbook workshop
22-23rd August, Layers, Lines and Images-Textile Books. The two workshops can be linked to make a four day course. (Full..wait list only)
Queen Street Gallery, Neath, Stitch Sketching:Layers and Stitch from the Land. Saturday 12th-Sunday 13th October.
Exploring marks and lines to create complex layered machine or hand stitched pieces.
Malta Wildflowers
Old Bank Studios, Urban Nature (Reclaiming the Unfinished) Textile Art, Saturday 16-Sunday 17th November. Explore the process of using unfinished textile samples and/or drawing/paintings/photographic/ photocopied image as a resource developing new projects. The stimulus to be found in the landscape from the urban and natural world will be your primary resource as you look at different media and its application for textile and mixed media work.
2020
14th and 15th March 2020 Reclaimed Landscapes' 2 day workshop with Creative South West Textiles in Devon. For further information and booking contact via email.
International courses
Spaces, Places and Traces at Zijdelings in Tilburg.
25-27 November 2019.Be inspired by places visited travel and regular day to day journeys by the author of 'Textile Landscape' (full...contact to be placed on waiting list)
25-27 November 2019.Be inspired by places visited travel and regular day to day journeys by the author of 'Textile Landscape' (full...contact to be placed on waiting list)
USA
I am pleased to be running some workshops in the late Summer and early Autumn (Fall) in the USA in 2019. I will post details of locations as they become confirmed. Meanwhile I can give advance of workshops with:
Sedona Arts Center, Layers, Line and Image from 6-8 September 2019. Art always make reference to other images and narrative. For our purposes you can use an old book, maps and found printed materials as a starting point to create a new works. Be informed by the landscape, nature or subject of your choice to create inspired folding forms.
Front Range Contemporary Quilters from 13-15 September. Registration to be announced in early summer.
Layer, Lines and Image, Layered cloth and paper book-forms.
Artistic Artifacts September 27-29th, Alexandria , VA. From the Land
Regular Courses locally
Kent Adult Education various including 26 week drawing and painting classes on Fridays starting 21 September and new one day courses.Enter my name under tutor search.
Limited Edition: Workshops for 2-5 people from my home workspace by arrangement. Explore different approaches to textiles and mixed media work in a relaxed creative environment with an emphasis on individual development. I am happy to discuss specific details of projects or offer one to one tuition and guidance. (contact me for details)
Comments from students on recent courses:
The entire workshop experience was packed with artists of lively talent and heart. In fierce heat, these 15 women filled 36 hours with intense focus and concentration. Led by a mightily energy of about 5'5" who really knows her stuff! Cas Holmes is a masterful artist and teacher. Those of us able to attend felt honored and privileged to be with her. We took away many new skills and I left feeling brave as an artist for the first time in 15 years, (I haven't been able to call myself an artist for that long either).From the Land Jessica (San Diego Book Artist)
Some images of Tea Flora Tales donated by San Diego books arts in workshop.
We explored the unique world of the lost and found creating simple books to explore our projects alongside paper/textile layering, pasting techniques. Drawing our narratives from the overlooked and imperfect akin to Wabi Sabi (Art of Imperfection) working sometimes collaboratively, at others individually we tore, cut, reconstructed and stitched our ways to new collages and objects.It helped me to open my eyes to the world around me (Personal Journals course, West Dean)
It has been a little over a week since my return from West Dean and the experience has been much in mind. I gained more than I think I could ever say from being on the course with Cas Holmes. It was great to spend time in the beautiful location, not only did it enrich my own practice, but so generative in regard to the work that I do in mental healthcare settings and the community. (Extract from student letter who attended Tracing Shadows course at West Dean)
Here is a lovely link to feedback from a students perspective on a recent workshop at Eaubrink studios by Marion on Artmixter blog. (image of her work in progress below)
Below-a selection of images from my workshops. Many thanks to the students who gave
me kind permission to use the images of their work in progress.
Marks on Cloth, a drop-in community workshop on board LV21.
What did I learn?? Hmmm, it is really hard to describe.... I learned to be less precious and to dive into the work. Not to worry so much, each
layer can be changed, altered, built up, stripped back and added to......I had a very enjoyable day and learned so much.
Below:Images and Narratives, folding books Milton Keynes Arts Centre,
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| A piece in progress by Julie Leach |
Julie Leach, Course at Artwork Milton Keynes
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| Demonstration in Australia Go Create New England. Image compliments of Tara Axford |
Further images of student work
Unfolding Landscape with Fibre Arts Australia:
Thankyou book from students at Ballarat, Fibre Arts Australia:
Details of work Diva Design Studios:
Extreme Stitching Red at the Huguenot Museum, Rochester:
Students on a Memories on Canvas course at Maidstone Museum referred to old historic Ladybird book illustrations to draw upon their favourite memories from camping, to a childhood swing in a garden in this work in progress inspired by Ladybird books in a Ladybird Childhood exhibition.
On the back cover of a West Dean brochure with work by the same student, Katie Boucher's work in progress featured here.
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Images of workshops by kind permission of participants
All images and text copyright Cas Holmes 2019.
All rights reserved.
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