As a young boy, his family traveled extensively, and their interest in travel helped develop young Charles’ fascination with the beauty of the outdoors. Charles continues to travel around the world, studying the landscapes and culture of the people, recording to memory different scenes that capture his interest. Every year he picks a new destination to explore. Charles likes to keep his paints clean by using two pallets. He will keep his paints on one, and mix on the other. He uses a combination of pallet knife and brush. Typically he will compose the entire painting’s background and sky first. He has to let that dry before he paints the foreground. It may be days or months later before he gets back to it. He finishes it off with highlights of light and shadow to bring out the drama in the painting. Primarily a landscape artist, Pabst interprets monumental vistas and breathtaking scenery.