April Online Exhibit 2016

April 2016 Online Exhibit, Charlie Ahman

Charlie Ahman was one of the many mysterious and colorful characters who made Ocracoke his home. He arrived on Ocracoke sometime in the 1960s, though no one can remember the exact year. His Wife, Esther Thompson Ahman died in 1966 shortly after they took up residence on the island. Born in Scotland in 1887, Charlie immigrated to the U.S. from in 1908 and worked as a seaman and carpenter to make a living for his family. Once he retired and moved to Ocracoke, he focused on a new passion, painting. He was prolific in painting scenes of Ocracoke and of the many places he had traveled to throughout his lifetime. He was an untrained but passionate artist who didn’t let a lack of supplies stem his artistic renderings. He painted on whatever he could lay his hands on be it canvas, slate, or cardboard. He is remembered as having an easy smile and riding around town on his three wheeled bicycle. When he died in 1975, he was buried in Ocracoke’s Community Cemetery next to his wife. We wish we knew more about Charlie, but for now, we’ll have to let his spirit come alive through his paintings.