D. Omer "Salty" Seamon (1911–1997) was an American painter known for his folksy watercolors and landscapes of

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

and the Midwest. His work can be found in galleries and homes across the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Early life

He was born Denzil Omer Seamon in

Gibson County, Indiana Gibson County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 33,011. The county seat is Princeton. History In 1787, the fledgling United States defined the Northw ...

, to parents Louis and Estel Seamon. He began drawing at an early age, sketching pictures to send along with letters his parents sent to an older brother fighting in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Much of Seamon's training came experientially. Early jobs included trimming windows for a department store in

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...

, and preparing posters for a dry goods store. In 1929 he worked in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

painting theater posters for

Paramount Studios Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production and distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio i ...

. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

he returned to

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...

, as art director for Thomson-Symon Co. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Seamon served over three years with a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Special Service Unit. He spent this time in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

, including

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New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

, the

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and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. During his service, he continued to make art, in particular painting of military and native life in the islands.

Freelance work

After the war, Seamon devoted his time to becoming a full-time freelance artist. He and his wife Marjorie "Polly" Kress and stepson Edgar Mechling moved to a home near

Rosedale, Indiana Rosedale is a town in Florida Township, Parke County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 636 at the 2020 census. History When Parke County was established in 1821, Rosedale was the first village in the county, and served as the f ...

, where Seamon had a painting studio. He became well known in the

Wabash Valley The Wabash Valley is a region located in sections of both Illinois and Indiana. It is named for the Wabash River and, as the name is typically used, spans the middle to the middle-lower portion of the river's valley and is centered at Terre Haute, ...

area. In addition to selling paintings directly to members of the community, Seamon annually created arts for the Forrest Sherer Agency Christmas cards. His work was even available on personal checks from Terre Haute First National Bank. Seamon often painted the local people and places he saw around him, from covered bridges and rivers to specific locales including the Vigo County Courthouse, the Indiana Theatre and the Church of the Immaculate Conception, all in

Vigo County, Indiana Vigo County ( ) is a county on the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 106,153. Its county seat is Terre Haute. Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute metropo ...

. In 1980 Seamon was named a "Sagamore of the Wabash" by Indiana governor

Otis Bowen Otis Ray Bowen (February 26, 1918 – May 4, 2013) was an American politician and physician who served as the 44th Governor of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Cabinet of President Ronald Reagan from ...

. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has shown a particular appreciation for Seamon, granting him an honorary doctorate in 1979 and creating a collection of many of his works. Seamon died in 1997.

References

External links

Omer "Salty" Seamon: An American Artist
A gallery of images from a Vigo County Historical Society exhibit {{DEFAULTSORT:Seamon, D. Omer 1911 births 1997 deaths 20th-century American painters American male painters 20th-century American male artists