21 July - 13 August 2006
The work of textile artist Cas Holmes features in an exciting and diverse exhibition showcasing the work of tutors teaching on short courses at West Dean College. The show includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, jewellery, glass, pottery and textiles, with artist-in residence Cas Holmes demonstrating her lively and experimental textile and paper-based techniques.
The exhibition seeks to explore the many facets of artistic journeys and focuses on the way these influence the work of the artist. “From the more conventional notion of journey as one based on travel, to those of process and self-discovery, each piece acknowledges the fact that every creative work begins with a journey,” said curator Dr Sharon Kusunoki.
The short course tutors' exhibition is an annual event at West Dean College and among this year's artists are sculptor Sally Hersh, who works in stone and bronze, and Bill Diggins, a watercolour painter who runs courses for beginners and improvers. West Dean College runs over 700 short courses each year in art, craft, music, gardening and creative writing, and the programmes are led by tutors who are all practising and leading artists in their field.
Artist-in-residence Cas Holmes is a tutor on the textiles short course programme, and her experimental workshops explore the character and qualities of paper and ephemera as a surface for creating textile-based artwork, books or sculptural works. She trained in fine art before specialising in textiles and mixed media, and regularly holds exhibitions and runs workshops at museums, galleries and colleges.