Chuck grew up as part of a tight-knit family, the second of three sons, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in a small town called King, North Carolina. The rolling country landscape provided a rich experience of beauty that changed with the four distinct seasons, bringing drama to the simple charms of small town living and inspiring his first desires to capture nature and imagination in visual representation. Consistent training for track and cross country afforded many opportunities to experience the picturesque countryside as he ran through fields and down winding roads, often with a clear view of Pilot Mountain, just a stone’s throw from Mt. Airy, the place that inspired the town of "Mayberry" and The Andy Griffith Show.