artist does the 'business'

The challenge of working in different spaces is open to all kinds of possibilities.
'Fen' brings a sense of the outside space into interior office space. Using 'found materials, I like to create installations from the everyday which demand interaction. Office workers moved their hand through 'Red Rain' almost from the minute it was placed on the stairwell. Constructed from old teabags it is a reminder of the refreshing qualities of a good cup of tea...and of good rain! You can see these installations and other works at:

Kings Hill Art with Arts and Business. 30 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling. Kent. ME19 4UX (From 26th June until September).

www.AandB.org.uk, www.kings-hill.com.

Natural England Open Day Saturday 4th July in Kent

As part of the 'Welcome to the Wildside' project I have been running painting workshops over the June period with Natural England at Wye and Stodmarsh National Nature Reserves in Kent.

The resulting work will be exhibited at the National Wye Nature Reserve Festival on Saturday 4th July from 11.00-4.00pm. There will be plenty of activities for families including Wildlife walks, Charcoal making, heavy horse demonstrations as well as a painting workshop scheduled for 2.00-4.00pm (booking required).

This is a chance for local people to see what lies on their doorstep. There is limited parking but a free shuttle bus will run from Wye to the festival. Wye station is on the London to Canterbury rail route. Cycle or walk is another option if you are local. Helping to keep the carbon footprint down.

The event is free, there will be plenty of cover so join us for a day in the countryside whatever the weather!

For more information email: wildside@naturalengland.org.uk or telephone 0300 060 4765.

www.naturalengland.co.uk

South East Open Studios 5-21st June 2009

Cs Holmes

South East Open Studios 5-21st June 2009

My partnership with Anne Kellly as part of Resonent Textiles continues. We are both exhibiting with four other artists, Lucy, Rachel. Carl and Jennifer as oart of Open Studios. (see end of blog) at Shed Gallery. Tunbridge Wells. I will be at the the Shed on Saturday 13th June so would love to see you.

It is amazing what can fit in a small space and still look professional and its a great opportunity to see textiles, painting and ceramics which work well in a domestic setting.

Venue: 29 Dynevor Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9HP
Open every weekend until 21st June 11.00-6.00pm. . www.seos-art.org

Anne Kelly
I produce mixed media textiles based on natural forms and box framed in oak. They work well in a variety of settings.
Cas Holmes
Mixed media paper and textiles - focus on the environment. Commissions undertaken reflecting natural and built environment.
Lucy Willsher
A textile artist who uses a variety of techniques and mixed media to produce pieces that are inspired by travel experiences and past memories.
Rachel Rayner
Produces a variety of ceramics work through exploration of different hand building techniques applied.
Jenifer Newson
My work includes prints, collage and papier maché and explores how the same shapes, structures and patterns recur in nature.
Karl Simmons
My work is inspired by nature using watercolour and chalk pastels.

tel: 01892 512760

Anne Kelly and Cas Holmes

Cowslip Workshops

3 DAY COWSLIP WORKSHOP 28,29 and 30th May 2009

FROM THE LAND: PRINT, PAPER, DESIGN AND STITCH

I ran a three day workshop with Cowslip using Newhouse Organic Farm as a starting point. This mixed media workshop explored ideas relating to the land and landscape as a means to stimulate creative ideas. Students were introduced to the use of everyday objects for printand stencilling on fabrics and fine papers, (including sun-printing,) We combined paper with fabric and looked at different ways of texturing and colouring surfaces alongside stitching as an extension of mark making and drawing. A focus was placed on the importance of keeping a sketchbook/journal as part of the process of making.

The ambience of the farm was greately enhanced by the warm weather and excellent food at the on-site restuarant. Jo Colwill runs an excellent programme of workshops supported by a great team of people who made everyone feel very welcome. The textile and quilt supplies shop at Cowslip is both a well organised treat, full of colour and helpful advice always on hand.

www.cowslipworkshops.com

Keeping busy

Have been really busy over the last month or so catching up on paperwork now I have my own pc. Sometimes, not having a pc is a blessing! I am taking part in Open Studios and will be exhibiting in the SHED gallery in Tunbridge Wells>

5-21st June 2009

South East Open Studios

Shed Gallery. Tunbridge Wells.

www.seos-art.org

and in Cranbrook in June

3-24th June 2009

Vir-Art 2 Show

Carriers Road Cranbrook TN173JT

and SWcotland now:

23 May-28th June 2009

Place, Identity and Memory Exhibition

Bookworks. Gracefield Arts Centre Dumfries

irisbookart@googlemail.com

Kings Hill Art, from 18th June 2009 for two months.30 Tower View, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4UX www.kings-hill.com

Enjoyed the Riverhouse Gallery. A very good team and the work looked really good. Am busy trying to complete some pieces for the SEOS exhibtion and am looking forward to working for a day with a friend Anne Kelly to get moving on this.

Current Exhibitions and Workshops

Solo Exhibitions

Transitions,
5th April - 14th June. 2008 Bilston Craft Gallery, Wolverhampton tel 01902 552507 (contact Emma Daker) from (a touring exhibition with Jo Newman, Deborah Roberts, Loretta Braganza and Mizuko Yamada.

Continued tour dates:

2 March-6th May 2009. Brewery Arts Tel: 01285 6571812
3 May-5th July 2009. Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery. Tel. 01302734293

Traces, Riverhouse Barn Gallery, Manor Road, Walton on Thames, Surrey, tel 01932 254198 from 15 April to 10 May 2009

Group Exhibitions

Unearthing. Group exhibition with Els Van Baarle, Cherilyn Martin and Jean Draper.
Stadsmuseum Woerden, Netherlands 11th April-July 2009. http://www.stadsmuseumwoerden.nl/

Workshops
West Dean Short Courses, West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex PO1 0QZ tel 01243 811301, enquiries@westdean.org.uk

August 8-14th 2009 Summer School. Inspiring Textiles, paper, cloth, paint and stitch.
29th Oct-1st November, Paper, Cloth, Text and Image-developing ideas for textiles.
14-19th February 2010, Print, paint, dye and stitch– experimental textiles (combining print with markmaking and stitch)
15th-18th April 2010, Personal Journeys in Textile and Mixed Media-sourcing direct inspiration for textiles ( developing creative ideas for textiles through personal journals, sketchbooks and design application from the world around you and found sources).


Cowslip Workshops, Newhouse Farm, St Stephens, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 8JX tel:01566 772654 http://www.cowslipworkshops.com/
28, 29 and 30th May 2009 From the Land, Print, Paper, Design and Stitch (Full)


Adult Education. Creative Courses at St Faith St. Maidstone. Kent.

Drawing and Painting Classes. Fridays. a.m (from 10.00) and p.m.(from 1.00)
Drawing and Painting. Monday Evenings.Sessions last 2.5 hours


Taking New Enrolments for courses starting dates Friday 18th September 2009 and Monday 21st September 2009

Book either morning (2 x 15 week) or afternoon session. (30 week) Tel:0845 606 5606 Minicom: 0845 824 7905. www.kentadulteducation.co.uk
(Current courses full run until July 2009)

Currently writing a book. The Use of the Found in Textile Art and Embroidery. Batsford publications. Due out August 2010


For details of commissions and additional workshops in paper, textiles mixed media and painting and drawing contact the artist direct: www.casholmes.textilearts.net
casholmes28@yahoo.co.uk


Statement
My work has always been informed by personal experience, places visited, stories of my Romany grandmother, old and forgotten textiles. This new work proposes to examine cultural links between the Northern Indian art and decoration and my Romany heritage within a broader cultural context of land and people.I am interested in the shadows of marks made by man in the earth and reflections in water and flooded fields, the changes and impact on the flora and landscape. The use of land as a reference in art (floral patterns, colour and images); my concern is political, social, as well as climatic change. My training is in Fine Art and I work between two disciplines, painting and mixed media textiles. The stitched mark becomes a line of drawing. The dye becomes my paint. My base material is paper and fabric. The use of stitch is imperative to how the work holds together.

Pc madness,West Dean workshops, Exhibition update

Hi All

First of all, apologies to all the students who are still waiting for me to circulate images and information. Especially those who attended my workshops at West Dean in February. I am still without the return of my pc from Acer 2 months down the line so am unable to do so many basic admin things. I am just about keeping up to date with Guerrilla pc tactics. Like the New York Guerrilla gardening..taking over a pc when I can, rather than an area of urban decay!

I am fairly busy. I have an exhibition opening, Traces, at Riverhouse Art Gallery Walton on Thames from 18th April and am taking part in a four person show at Stadmuseum, Woerden, the Netherlands from 11th April-5th July with Elds Van Baarle, Cherilyn Martin and Jean Draper.

I also have listed a number of workshops including some in Less Soeurs Anglaisses in France in September.Cowslip in May and West Dean in the Summer.

Traces
15 April - 10 May 2009Riverhouse Barn Gallery, Manor Road, Walton on Thames, SurreyTel 01932 254198

Unearthing
11th April - July 2009Stadsmuseum Woerden, Netherlandswww.stadsmuseumwoerden.nl

Cowslip Workshops, Newhouse Farm, St Stephens, Launceston, Cornwall PL15 8JX tel:01566 772654www.cowslipworkshops.com
28, 29 and 30th May 2009 From the Land, Print, Paper, Design and Stitch
West Dean Short Courses, West Dean College, Chichester, West Sussex PO1 0QZ tel 01243 811301,

Saturday 8 - Friday 14 August 2009Summer School: Inspiring Textiles: Paper, Cloth, Paint and Stitch - textile exploration.
29 October - 1 November 2009Paper, cloth, text and image - developing ideas for textiles enquiries@westdean.org.uk

Les Soeurs Anglaises, South West Francewww.lessoeursanglaises.com, tel: 0(033)553 91 38 40,
katie@elliottarmitage.com

From the Land, Print, Textiles, Design and Stitch 10 - 16 September 2009

See my website http://www.casholmes.textilarts.net for further information and links

I will update sites and everything when I can, but meanwhile, watch this space.