Charles Payzant (1898-1980)

CdM has had a number of famed artists that lived in our community.  We have featured Rex Brandt, who is likely the best known locally and Chuck Jones, who was called “the Orson Welles of animation.”  Today, we feature Charles Payzant (1898-1980), a talented illustrator and watercolor painter that lived in the village at 609 Acacia.  He was one of the pioneers of what would become known as the California Style of watercolor painting and would work on some of the most famous Disney movies of all time. 

He began his career as a commercial artist and during the Great Depression he took a job with Disney painting watercolor backgrounds.  He worked on many of the biggest cartoon shorts and made elaborate backgrounds for classics such as Snow White, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Pinocchio. CdM has had a number of famed artists that lived in our community.  We have featured Rex Brandt, who is likely the best known locally and Chuck Jones, who was called “the Orson Welles of animation.”  Today, we feature Charles Payzant (1898-1980), a talented illustrator and watercolor painter that lived in the village at 609 Acacia.  He was one of the pioneers of what would become known as the California Style of watercolor painting and would work on some of the most famous Disney movies of all time. 

After WWII, he would leave Disney to return to commercial art and began working with his wife, author Terry Shannon Payzant and he did the illustrations on fifty of her childrens books. He also was the director of the famed Dick and Jane series of school readers. It was estimated that 80% of American grade schools used this series.  He continued to work on private commissions and paint his California Style watercolors for the rest of his life.

​Photos of Payzant and his art - californiawatercolor.com;