Charles, a keen artist from an early age was raised in England on a Thames Sailing Barge and went to sea in the British Merchant Marine at the age of sixteen. He obtained a Master’s License and settled in New Zealand where he worked in the shipping industry both afloat and ashore. In 1984 he was transferred with his family to New York, then later San Francisco before being posted to Seattle in 1999. He retired from managing a major shipping line in 2006.

He is also a keen yachtsman, having raced and cruised boats of all sizes in most of the world’s oceans.

Apart from PRIMA he is a member of ASMA and past member Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists, where he held numerous executive positions including serving as secretary for five years.

He has exhibited widely in the Pacific North West and his work has been published in various popular nautical and trade publications.