Its not what we see...

Welcome.
Welcome.
I'm andrew charles, and this blog is simply a place where I share the things that interest me, inspire me, challenge me, and occasionally send me off in completely unexpected directions.

Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. For many years that meant painting. It taught me how to observe the world, how to look beyond first impressions and, perhaps most importantly, how to enjoy the process of creating rather than worrying too much about the outcome.

Over time, painting gradually slipped out of my hands. Not because I fell out of love with it, but because it felt as though that chapter had reached its natural conclusion. What followed was a long period of quiet exploration, free from deadlines, expectations and the need for an audience.

One material led to another. Papier-mâché introduced freedom and experimentation. Foam challenged my understanding of structure and form. Cardboard revealed possibilities I had never expected. Each brought its own frustrations, discoveries and rewards. Eventually I found my way to polymer clay, a material that continues to offer both challenge and opportunity while allowing me to explore ideas, character and form in ways that painting never quite could.

This blog follows that journey.

Some posts are about art and sculpture. Some are about creativity and philosophy. Some are simply observations about life, people and the curious details that often pass unnoticed. I don't claim to have answers. I'm far more interested in asking questions, exploring ideas and seeing where they lead.

I've never been particularly interested in trends or presenting a polished version of myself. What you'll find here is the real process: the successes and failures, the changes of direction, the experiments that worked, and the ones that didn't.

In many ways, this blog is less a gallery than it is a journal.
A place to think out loud.
A place to record ideas before they disappear.
A place to look back and see where the road has already taken me.

Above all, it is a place to share what I am making, what I am learning, and what continues to inspire me along the way.

The title of this blog reflects a belief that has stayed with me throughout the years:

"It's not what we see, but how we see it."

Whether you've arrived because of art, sculpture, philosophy, creativity, or simple curiosity, you're very welcome here.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing a little of the journey.

andrew charles

Popular posts from this blog

A Quiet Return It’s been a few years since anything new appeared on this blog. No dramatic exit, no crisis, no grand story — just life unfolding in its own quiet way while I wandered off into a long stretch of creative exploration. I didn’t spend that time chasing expectations or trying to produce anything impressive. In fact, it was the opposite. I let myself make things without pressure, without anticipation, and without any need for an audience. It was a good kind of absence — the sort that gives you space to breathe and rediscover what you enjoy. Along the way, painting slipped out of my hands. Not abandoned in frustration, just… released. It had carried me through many chapters, but eventually it felt like a language I’d said enough in. So I turned to sculpture, almost by accident, and found myself on a long, meandering tour through every material within reach. Papier‑mâché came first — messy, forgiving, and strangely liberating.Foam followed, stubborn but full of possibility.Cardboard had its moment too, proving far more architectural than I expected. Each material taught me something different about form, weight, and patience. And then, gradually, I settled into polymer clay. It felt right — structured but flexible, expressive without demanding perfection. It opened a new path, and with it came another journey: exploring genre, tone, and character in ways paint never quite allowed. So yes, I’ve been away. But not idle.Just quietly occupied in the kind of creative work that doesn’t need announcing. Now the blog returns — not as a relaunch, not as a promise, but simply as a continuation. A place to share what I’ve been shaping, learning, and enjoying along the way. If you’ve found your way back here too, welcome. Let’s see where this next chapter leads.

  A Quiet Return It’s been a few years since anything new appeared on this blog. No dramatic exit, no crisis, no grand story — just life unfolding in its own quiet way while I wandered off into a long stretch of creative exploration. I didn’t spend that time chasing expectations or trying to produce anything impressive. In fact, it was the opposite. I let myself make things without pressure, without anticipation, and without any need for an audience. It was a good kind of absence — the sort that gives you space to breathe and rediscover what you enjoy. Along the way, painting slipped out of my hands. Not abandoned in frustration, just… released. It had carried me through many chapters, but eventually it felt like a language I’d said enough in. So I turned to sculpture, almost by accident, and found myself on a long, meandering tour through every material within reach. Papier‑mâché came first — messy, forgiving, and strangely liberating. Foam followed, stubborn but full of possibili...
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Polymer Clay 01

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While searching through the archives I uncovered this snippet from 2016/17. The occasion near my discovery of polymer clay. After two years of watching tutorials, trawling websites, reading fact sheets, gathering tools and materials, and generally soaking up everything I could find about polymer clay, I've finally reached the point where I have a dedicated workspace set up. Which means the real learning can begin. Up until now it's all been preparation. Now I get to make my own mistakes, discover my own solutions, and work my way along a learning curve that, at the moment, doesn't seem to have an end. Over those two years I've come across some incredible artists, particularly those working in jewellery and biomorphic design. One artist who has consistently kept me inspired is Melanie West. Her work has captivated me from the beginning and continues to do so. The incredible work of Melanie West One of the things that immediately drew me to polyme...
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grounding

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since 10 March I have been in my own little world, pondering and pottering while the world and its mother, passed me by. I have little need at this moment in time to move at the same pace as everyone else, and, while youngsters on their bikes, supported with stabilisers, and by animals with far less purpose than even I at the moment, I have reorganised my life, sorted out the wheat from the chaff as it were and broken my workload down to a point where I am able to move forward, both as a person and as an artist. My current fixed projects are as varied as they are separated by simple geography, the Glass House restoration and the Film company, Dog Tag Media both based in Scotland and my Autumn Show here in Kendal. My recent contact with Melvyn Bragg is now at an end though not without my realising that there really was no connection between us sufficient as to reap the full benefits of being in contact with such a genuine person, the lack of contact simply of my own making and borne of ...
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