He was self-taught and began his career as an industrial painter for the Hoosier Drill Company where he painted decorations and small landscape scenes on farm machinery.
Along with artists Frank J. Girardin (1856–1945), Micajah Thomas Nordyke (1847–1919), and his brother Albert Clinton Conner (1848–1929), Charles helped found the Rambler’s Sketch Club (c.1881); John Elwood Bundy (1853–1933) soon joined their group.
[1] Conner became a close friend to painter John Elwood Bundy and exhibited his works alongside the Richmond Group artists.
He was a plein-air painter and often spent long periods of time living in a tent and painting outdoors.
This work, The Old Swimming Hole was purchased in part by Indianapolis philanthropist, Emil Deitz and the school children of his hometown, Fountain City, Indiana who collected $50 worth of pennies to purchase the work.