cas holmes : Workshops-Education

'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).


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.

Course availability and other details can be found via the course links listed below. Cas also teaches private groups and guilds which are not listed here.

West Dean College Short Courses (see my page)

Land-Marks-mixed Media, Cloth and Stitch 3 to 6 February 2019

Be inspired by the colours, textures and shapes found in the natural or urban landscape. Using mark-making, print, collage, free machine embroidery, hand stitch and other processes, create surfaces to combine into mixed media textiles to create your own collages.(Course Full)

Mapping Your Space-New Narratives in Paper and Cloth, 5-8 May 2019

Investigate de-constructing and subverting the narrative form of maps, or book-related objects to create new forms of mixed media paper and textile based work which reference a physical or reflective journey. Develop your 'visual narrative' as you stitch, paint and collage a bound or modular work loosely based on a book-form.

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.

UK workshops

Surrey Wildlife Trust, Mixed Media Postcards. Saturday 9th February 2019

This introductory workshop looks at how we can can use everyday materials to create small art pieces to reflect our connection to the landscape and nature. We will share processes and ideas based on some of the artist’s personal approaches to creating mixed media works with found material (£60 members/£72 non-members)

Hope and Elvis in Nottingham Two workshops: Paper, Mark and Stitch, 30th and 31st March 2019 and Stitch-Sketch-Book, 1st and 2nd April 2019 (only a few places left on each workshop)

Eaubrink studios, Kings Lynn Norfolk. Small Objects of Desire, April 13 and 14th (weekend course). Take inspiration from everyday objects and create a small collage on a canvas.

Postcards From, Monday 15th April. Landscape or place visited inform the creation of simple postcards using paper, cloth and mixed-media.

Kent Adult Education, Take Your Sketchbook for a Walk on 18th May 2019 and

Transfer and Stitch on 8th May 2019

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)

Bath Textile Summer School

19-20th August, Mark Layer and Stitch the Sketchbook workshop

21 and 22nd August, Layers, Lines and Images-Textile Books. The two workshops can be linked to make a four day course.

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.

International courses

Textile Art Course, Orgiva, Spain

25th of May - 1st of June, 2019

€ 800 this price is inclusive of course, stay, meals, and transportation to and from Malaga Airport. (not flights)

Places are limited, please contact Judith Vroom before the end of January . Further details here

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.

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)

This is the second workshop I've attended led by Cas Holmes, and all I can say is that personally, I find her an extremely inspirational teacher, and someone who encourages a very relaxed, serendipitous attitude to the techniques that she teaches. If you get the chance, I can thoroughly recommend one of her classes. Cath of Stitch, Cloth, Colour.

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,

A piece in progress by Julie Leach

I really enjoyed both of your courses and felt that I gained a tremendous amount. As much as your book, (The Found Object in Textile Art,) is excellent, the opportunity to see you applying your own techniques was very special. Most of all though I loved your teaching approach. You constantly made us think for ourselves and challenged what was possible. I always think it's the quality of the questioning that is key and that is where the experienced practitioner prepared to teach creatively can take a student so much further than the painting by numbers approach can ever achieve. As I said on the day you are a teacher not an instructor and I know that requires a lot more personal investment. I, for one, really appreciated it.

Julie Leach, Course at Artwork Milton Keynes

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.

Below:images Of Cloth, Pattern and Clothing and Text, Paper Image from workshops organised through Fibre Arts Australia Recent reports on workshops and visit to Australia with here.