Charlie Hewitt

I work at the intersection of data science, computer science, and ecology, with a background in digital cartography – it means I spend a lot of time thinking about maps, patterns, and how data and information are represented visually. I’ve always enjoyed art but hadn’t really had time for it since doing my GCSEs. I joined one of the classes at the Left to Draw Studios in Harborough out of curiosity, and then ended up joining the StArt classes and the friday social group.

Most of the time I use acrylic ink or acryclics, but do try as many different materials and techniques as possible. I work from life, microscope images, and photographs, building in ideas from maths or geometry. I like a mix of abstract and realistic styles, and am drawn to blocky geometric art with lots of colour. The art style or period I like the most is constructivism – the bold colours and links to maths, engineering and design are really appealing.

Nature is a big part of what inspires me when coming up with ideas of what to draw/paint. I spend a lot of time out in local nature reserves with my partner, looking at wildflowers and insects – especially beetles. Beetles are great because they’re never just one colour; under a microscope, they’ve got amazing metallic shimmers and patterns. I’ve been trying to capture some of that shiny-ness in my artwork recently.

My cartography background definitely feeds into how I think visually – maps are both creative and technical, and I like how those two sides come together. I’m a Fellow of the British Cartographic Society and was Highly Commended in their 2024 competition for the Ordnance Survey award.