His glorious murals inspire schoolchildren and help them learn about creatures of the sea. His intriguing illustrations helped the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce promote area attractions. His extraordinary portraits can be found in the homes of over 150 collectors all over the United States. Charles Mills of North Myrtle Beach is an insightful artist whose ability to interpret his perceptions enables him to capture the true essence of his subjects.

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Mills became interested in art as a young child. "I've been drawing since I was four or five, on the floor, with Mom sharpening my pencils," he laughs. "My father was a good artist. He put it all on the back burner because he had to support three boys through college."

In 1963, Mills obtained his BFA in commercial art at Richmond Professional Institute (now Virginia Commonwealth University). He went on to California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland. "I thought I wanted to teach. The commercial art side of things appealed to me less than painting and teaching. Once I was there, I realized that I was not a good graduate student," he explains candidly. "I tried again at University of California at Santa Barbara. Still couldn't make it, so I gave up on graduate school. Realizing one's limitations is progressive, isn't it?" he chuckles.

For the next seven years, Mills worked as a commercial artist and held a number of various jobs in the Santa Barbara area. "I did everything from landscape gardening to driving a school bus!" He and his wife, Linda, wanted to buy land, but couldn't afford California real estate. "So back to the Appalachians we went. We bought 25 acres in West Virginia, built a cabin, and kind of retreated."

As Mills built his cabin, a remarkable structure looking vaguely like a cross between a teepee and a dome, he worked as a sign artist in the rural community. His wife, now a fifth grade teacher at North Myrtle Beach Elementary School, went back to school for education.

The couple lived in their retreat for the next decade. In the mid-eighties they decided to move to the Grand Strand, wanting to live closer to the Meher Baba Center in North Myrtle Beach. Mills' remarkable portraits of the spiritual leader can be found in India, the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Mexico.

In 1989, Mills and his wife built a lovely little home near Atlantic Beach. "We had the house designed with more light than usual, for the display of the art," he says. His portraits, including a wonderful study of his mother painted from a black and white photo taken in 1938, hang on the walls.

Versatile and resourceful, Mills continues to do graphic design, signs, logos, and murals. His amazing student life and marine animal studies at North Myrtle Beach Elementary demonstrate the school's commitment to visual arts and stimulate the imaginations of the students there.

Though Mills makes his living with his commercial art, he takes great personal satisfaction in his abstract paintings. Richard Diebenkorn, the California abstractionist who died in 1993, remains an influential figure in Mills' non-commercial work, and his love for typography and signage also shines through. Rendered in muted tones, many of Mills' paintings contain graceful curved shapes reminiscent of serif typefaces. "It's a very esoteric language, meaningful and lovely to only a few, but it satisfies an aesthetic demand within me."

Mills currently has one student, but he plans to take more, and will teach drawing and painting with oils and acrylics. "I need more space!" he laughs. He is looking for a larger studio and may build one himself if he can't find a structure that suits his needs.

In the meantime, he is accepting new commissions. His smallest portraits are 11x14" and take a few days to finish; Mills works from studio photos provided by clients or photos he takes with his own camera. "I try to capture something about the spirit of each person," he says. "I think this is what people respond to, without realizing or articulating it. I like giving them something of themselves, or their loved ones, bringing them more to life in the painting than in the photograph. The objective of my realistic work is to go beyond illustrating form."

Interested in portrait commissions or art instruction? Call Charles Mills at 272-5613, or visit his portfolio online at www.millsstudio.com/art/