Merlin Enabnit (1903-1979) was a painter, teacher, author,
lecturer, and his painting subjects included portraits, landscapes,
pin-ups, and the Southwest. Born in a small town just outside
Des Moines, Iowa he developed an interest in art at an early age
and began sketching on wrapping paper in his father's grocery store.
At the age of 15 he graduated from high school and entered Des Moines
University.
Merlin worked on calendars for Louis F. Dow around 1936 and in early
40's moved to the Shaw-Barton Calendar Company. He worked in England in
the late 30's and his WWII pin-ups were popular with British soldiers
(some books list him as British). Merlin also did ads for White King Soap,
Jantzen Swimsuits, and White Owl Cigar. From the mid-1940s, he was based
in Hollywood doing publicity and promotional portraits of stars. He wrote
art books: Nature's Basic Color Concept, and for Walter T. Foster: Color
with Palette Knife and Brush, How To Use Color in Portraits, Color:
Simplified Steps to Painting in Color, and Painting for Pleasure.
|