A Week of Creative Discovery with Textile Artist Cas Holmes in Tarragona
From 14 October, we had the pleasure of welcoming fifteen guests from around the world to Tarragona, Spain, for a seven-day immersive workshop with the renowned textile artist Cas Holmes. Known for her expressive, layered work and her thoughtful approach to materials, Cas brought her unique way of seeing to every moment of the retreat.
A Focus on Sketching, Seeing, and Slowing Down
From the very first session, Cas encouraged everyone to pause, observe, and sketch. Sketchbooks quickly became companions at breakfast tables, in pockets, and on bus seats—because, as Cas reminded us, the act of sitting and looking is where ideas take root.
Guests arrived with an assortment of meaningful items from home: cherished scraps of fabric, favourite papers, and little materials with personal stories woven into them. These pieces became the foundation of the week’s creative work.
Exploring Barcelona Through an Artist’s Eyes
A highlight of the retreat was our day trip to Barcelona. We wandered through the atmospheric Gothic Quarter, visited the magnificent Cathedral, and spent a sun-soaked afternoon at Park Güell. With Gaudí’s forms and colours all around us, everyone took time to sit, sketch, and absorb the environment in a way that naturally fed into the week’s creative journey.
We also visited the Gaudí Museum in Reus, his birthplace—another rich source of inspiration, full of textures, motifs, and architectural ideas that found their way into the sketchbooks and stitched works being developed.
Materials, Meaning, and Making
Back in Tarragona, Cas led us through exercises that explored how ordinary materials can hold extraordinary potential. She encouraged us to rethink what we throw away, to reuse with intention, and to look for beauty and meaning in the overlooked or discarded.
Her “homework” for the week set the tone:
- Something used
- Something found along the journey
- Something loved
Guests combined these elements—along with the pieces they had brought from home—to create layered, hand-stitched compositions. Much of the sewing took place outdoors in the hotel’s garden, surrounded by warm Spanish sunshine, conversation, and the gentle rhythm of needle and thread.
A Special Conversation with Cas
On our final day, we were privileged to sit down with Cas for an interview about creativity, process, and the power of textiles to tell personal stories. It was a wonderful way to close the week and reflect on everything we had learned together.
If you would like to watch the interview, please click below.
