M Charles artist that painted seascapes of the Outer Banks of North Carolina born 1916 in Panama any information on what his paintings are worth?

Answer 1

I am interested in getting more info on this artist as well.

How did you learn what you posted? Does your painting have

a monogram of the "M" inside the "C" in Charles?

2 interesting articles I've read:

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The story of Donald Leary is one that goes to the heart of the

Outer Banks. The late painter's work captured the unspoiled

essence of the barrier islands, making him a sought-after artist

during his reign. The people who have purchased or inherited

his work have something special. It's as if they own a little piece

of the land and sea before development took hold.

Working under the name of M. Charles, Leary created paintings

from the time he moved here in the 1950s until his death in 1991.

During that nearly 40-year span, he painted dunes, sea, sky and

sound in oil.

M. Charles, the pseudonym of Donald Leary, came to the area in

the early 1950s and, through his artwork, caught the essence of

the Outer Banks before it was developed. Leary, a self-taught

landscape painter, moved to the Outer Banks from Gloucester,

Virginia. His style captured the natural beauty of the area in its

undisturbed serenity. His paintings depict the underlying spirit of

the land before the invasion of high-rise hotels, fast-food

restaurants, and multi-family cottages. Even though Leary's land-

and seascapes are similar in subject matter, they each have a

unique individuality.

Leary completed over 2,500 paintings from 1954 until his death in

1991. While many of his works were sold to area residents, visitors

also purchased the paintings as mementos of their visit to the Outer

Banks. They were often sold before the paint was dry. Leary's works

are still sought by collectors trying to recapture the natural beauty of

the barrier islands.

"Donald Leary was a self taught artist who worked under the name,

M. Charles.

He began to paint after retiring from his job as a school principal. He

moved with his family to the Outer Banks of NC from Gloucester, VA

in the early 1950's.

Leary's work captured the look and feel of the North Carolina barrier

islands. He spent a lot of time outdoors sketching and painting in the

early years. Later years found him mostly in his studio, painting from

memory.

His first painting was sold in 1954.

The artist chose his artistic name when, as a joke, he donned a beret

and pranced in front of his family. The story follows that one of his

children said he looked like a French artist and therefore was dubbed

Monsieur Charles, which was later shortened to M. Charles.

He was born in 1916 in Colon, Panama. His father was an army doctor.

He graduated from George Washington University with a BA in English

in 1941 and a medical degree from William and Mary in 1955. He served

in World War II in the US Army Corp of Engineers and was discharged

as a captain in 1945.

"M. Charles of Manteo: Painter of Sand and Sea" is an article that

appeared in New East Magazine, the July/August issue in 1975.

A retrospective show for his art was held at the Roanoke Island Festival

Park, November 2004.

One of his paintings is in the art collection of the Town of Nags Head

and can be seen at the town hall.