Charlie holding a piece of work by his sister Annie.

Charles is the son of painter Mose Tolliver. He was born in 1962 when the family was living in a urban housing project. Charles is married and has two sons and a daughter. He works hard six days a week to support his family at the city sanitation department. He does not have as much time to paint as he would like even though he loves to paint. When he starts out painting he is never sure what it will be. The picture paints itself. He works in a space behind his house. He says he feels driven to it. Charles started painting in 1983 encouraged by his father at a Sunday evening gathering. His work is influenced in technique and material by his family, but his own unique style is developing. Black and gray dominate in his paintings. He is not a colorist like his sister Annie. He paints a variety of images such as birds and other creatures and also African themes. He writes titles on the backs of his work. Both titles and imagery reflect influences from personal life and from his imagination.