Painter and illustrator Charles George Copeland was born in Thomaston, Maine, on September 10, 1858. His earliest exposure to painting was through an apprenticeship with a frescoe artist and ceiling painter in Thomaston. There appears to be no record of a formal art education but by 1885 he had established himself as a successful full time children's book illustrator who also contributed to a variety of periodicals, including Youth's Companion magazine. His illustrative work fell into the vein of German Symbolists, with realistic renderings of the fantastic, featuring expert knowledge of animal anantomy, landscapes, and the human figure. His fine art focused on the landscapes of marine scenes of Maine and Massachusetts.

Copeland was a member of the Boston Art Club and the Boston Water Color Society. He exhibited his watercolors at the Williams & Everett Gallery in 1890. He died in Newton, Massachusetts on March 7, 1945, and was buried in Thomaston, Maine.