Cas Holmes, textile artist, inspirational teacher and author often describes her art as ‘stitch sketching’. She is a scavenger, taking the debris of our daily lives: old clothes, fabrics, torn bits of notes, treasures from a long forgotten scrap box –even detritus left on the street - and together with her exquisite sketches of nature and the urban landscape, entwines all these elements into extraordinary works of art. Never without her sketchbook and sewing kit, Cas says she has no fixed idea of how a piece of work is going to pan out and yet all of them have a wonderful cohesion. There is a poignancy running through every piece and you can imagine her silent reflection as she brings all her gifts together, dyeing, painting and stitching to produce a unique piece of craftsmanship.
Here is a glimpse into her studio.
Into the artist’s studio. A glance through a window into Cas Holmes's studio.
A jam jar of wild flowers by a painting, drawings and a sketchbook in Cas Holmes studio.
A glimpse of an artist at work.
A collection of brushes, bamboo pens, crayons and pencils laid out ready for use.
Cas Holmes adding the finishing touches to a painting.
Looking into the studio while Cas Holmes is working at her sewing machine.
Checking the stitching and tying off some of the loose threads.
Work in progress, sketches and prints that will later be incorporated into a mix media textile artwork by Cas Holmes.
Hand sewing motifs onto a printed sheet of paper.
Inside Cas Holmes's studio, looking across the sewing table to the printing bench. All the works benches and cupboards have been created out of recycled materials.
A sneak preview into the folded journal, Lanidloes, created out of cloth, print and stitch by Cas Holmes.
