Tuesday Art ATTACK- Charles Payzant “The Merry-Go Round”

California Watercolor artist Charles Payzant was born in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1898. Before moving to Los Angeles in 1920 he served for the Canadian army during World War I. Once in Los Angeles he began to pursue an art career in commercial illustration while studying at Otis College of Art and Design. In the 1930s not being able to find work as a freelance commercial illustrator Payzant took a job at the Walt Disney Studio doing background illustrations for projects such as Fantasia and Dumbo. Throughout his career he created many works and even illustrated more than 50 children’s books. This painting is titled “The Merry-Go Round” and was created in 1940. Unlike many works depicting sailors from earlier decades; California Watercolor artists’ portrayed sailors in a positive light. Before World War II many artists portrayed Navy Sailors as drunks. Payznt passed away in 1980.