Nancy Charles grew up in Miami and spent a lot of time in the Everglades and near the ocean.  Her strong love of animals and the outdoors can be traced back to those early years, and continues to be a guiding force in her life today.

Nancy’s interest in art came from her father, Clayton Charles, who was the chairman of the art department at the University of Miami.  Nancy grew up in an art-rich environment, sitting in on her father’s classes and working with him in his studio.

In 1981 Nancy and her two children moved to Memphis where she currently resides.  For several years, she worked almost exclusively in colored pencil and exhibited her work both regionally and nationally.

In 1995 Nancy began to work in etchings and found that the line work she uses in her colored pencil pieces translated easily into the etching medium.  At that time she divided her time between colored pencil work, developing new etching plates, teaching, and working on children’s books.  Currently she is employed by the Memphis Zoo and caretakes the primates.  She passionately works with orangutans and silverback gorillas.

Artist’s Statement:

My art is an expression of my love for animals and I feel fortunate to have found such a rewarding way to combine my two passions.