Margery Warder

Bio & Contact Info Blog Current Projects Favorite Photos Feeding Body & Soul In Print Elsewhere Prayer Chamber Study Q&A Notes	From Air Force to Artist By Marge Warder, Christian Writers Guild Member (Article first appeared in Villisca Review/Stanton Viking, Fall 2007, along with artwork by Mr. Messer) What does an Air Force Veteran do with his spare time once he’s retired from both the military and his second career? Well, for Tom Messer, he takes up painting. Or maybe it’d be more correct to say, he devotes more time to painting. His artwork often reflects scenes from the globe trotting he did with ‘Uncle Sam.’ Tom Messer’s artwork is on display and available for purchase from his art studio on Stanton’s main street, just a door south of the Senior Center at 326 Broad Avenue. Tom has both watercolor and oil paintings depicting a variety of scenes and still life. But plan to take your time as you shop for that artwork that would compliment your wall. Tom has about one hundred paintings to consider. And in case you like several and can’t choose just one, several paintings are available as notecards.
Tom knew at a young age that he liked art. World War II was going on while he lived with his parents in Oakland, California, a ‘shipping out’ base for the military. The local cleaners, and similar storefronts, hired Tom to set up patriotic displays in their windows. He painted patriotic scenes for businesses, too. Tom says he didn’t get rich doing those windows, but he did realize he enjoyed creating art to remind passers-by of men and women serving our country. And he liked creating art simply for others to enjoy. As a young man, in 1948, Tom joined the Air Force. His work was primarily in the Transportation Division, and before he retired in 1968, he himself had been transported to many parts of the world. One of his first missions was to what is now Offutt Air Force Base with General Lemay. General Lemay was responsible for overseeing three Air Forces in California, Denver, and the East Coast and seventeen bases. And General Lemay was responsible for establishing SAC (Strategic Air Command) near Omaha. The base had been primarily an army cavalry base before its revamping. SAC came into being so the USA would be protected from air attacks that seemed uncomfortably possible during that period of our history. Many of us can probably remember hearing about SAC, and we or our parents likely slept a little more contentedly, knowing SAC was flying missions over our continent to insure no unwelcome Russian or other aircraft was inbound with intentions of doing us harm. One blessing that came to Tom while serving in the Omaha area was meeting his wife, Bernice, who was in nurses’ training at Emmanuel Hospital. After dating nearly two years, they were married and to this couple were born two sons and three daughters. Tom’s Air Force missions often took him to places requiring he go unaccompanied, so there were periods of time when he was necessarily separated from his growing family. In some locations, Tom was permitted to find housing so his family could join him. Tom and Bernice and their children were able to live part of their lives in such places as England and Germany. But Tom also served tours when his family stayed state-side. Viet Nam was his final mission before retiring in 1968. Tom was able to complete two years of college while serving with the Air Force even though he often was places where he’d live with the reality of having to be in another part of the world within ’24 hours.’ He once hoped he’d finish college once he was out. But such was not to be and Tom’s life has been successful even if not all dreams were fulfilled. Tom and Bernice decided to move to Stanton, Iowa, where Tom began his insurance business and their children became involved in Stanton Community Schools. Although they’d lived in many parts of the globe, all five children graduated from Stanton High School. Tom and Bernice are both glad they chose Stanton as their hometown. They have both enjoyed making friends and participating in community life and events. So what sparked Tom’s interest in painting? On one of Tom’s missions in Germany, he was fortunate enough to find an instructor who, as Tom says, took him from “Zero on.” Now Tom has both oil and watercolor paintings, but admits he likes doing watercolor most. He jokes that the turpentine needed for oil paintings can make an artist kind of ‘dance-y’ if the place isn’t ventilated well enough and that would interfere with what he intends to put on the canvas. Tom’s subjects are usually what has appealed to his ‘color sense’ and are of things he’s found interesting. He also chooses things he knows he can put on canvas. His paintings are not ‘modern art,’ if by that we mean art with titles that leave us scratching our heads about what the artist saw that we onlookers don’t. Tom claims his art is ‘real’ and that those who purchase one of his pieces will know if they’re carrying a landscape, a cowboy, Indian, or whatever subject in a painting caught their eye while visiting his gallery in Stanton. Tom does not have frames for most of his work. Frames are so often a personal choice and dependent upon many factors. Tom has made frames in the past, but he’d rather be painting. And those who’ve seen his paintings, are glad he’s kept at it. Tom’s artwork can be seen most weekdays, and at other times by appointment. To insure you’ll be able to tour his studio, you can reach Tom at 829-2427.

From Air Force to Artist

By Marge Warder, Christian Writers Guild Member

(Article first appeared in Villisca Review/Stanton Viking, Fall 2007, along with artwork by Mr. Messer)

What does an Air Force Veteran do with his spare time once he’s retired from both the military and his second career? Well, for Tom Messer, he takes up painting. Or maybe it’d be more correct to say, he devotes more time to painting. His artwork often reflects scenes from the globe trotting he did with ‘Uncle Sam.’

Tom Messer’s artwork is on display and available for purchase from his art studio on Stanton’s main street, just a door south of the Senior Center at 326 Broad Avenue. Tom has both watercolor and oil paintings depicting a variety of scenes and still life. But plan to take your time as you shop for that artwork that would compliment your wall. Tom has about one hundred paintings to consider. And in case you like several and can’t choose just one, several paintings are available as notecards.

Tom knew at a young age that he liked art. World War II was going on while he lived with his parents in Oakland, California, a ‘shipping out’ base for the military. The local cleaners, and similar storefronts, hired Tom to set up patriotic displays in their windows. He painted patriotic scenes for businesses, too. Tom says he didn’t get rich doing those windows, but he did realize he enjoyed creating art to remind passers-by of men and women serving our country. And he liked creating art simply for others to enjoy.

As a young man, in 1948, Tom joined the Air Force. His work was primarily in the Transportation Division, and before he retired in 1968, he himself had been transported to many parts of the world.

One of his first missions was to what is now Offutt Air Force Base with General Lemay. General Lemay was responsible for overseeing three Air Forces in California, Denver, and the East Coast and seventeen bases. And General Lemay was responsible for establishing SAC (Strategic Air Command) near Omaha. The base had been primarily an army cavalry base before its revamping. SAC came into being so the USA would be protected from air attacks that seemed uncomfortably possible during that period of our history. Many of us can probably remember hearing about SAC, and we or our parents likely slept a little more contentedly, knowing SAC was flying missions over our continent to insure no unwelcome Russian or other aircraft was inbound with intentions of doing us harm.

One blessing that came to Tom while serving in the Omaha area was meeting his wife, Bernice, who was in nurses’ training at Emmanuel Hospital. After dating nearly two years, they were married and to this couple were born two sons and three daughters.

Tom’s Air Force missions often took him to places requiring he go unaccompanied, so there were periods of time when he was necessarily separated from his growing family. In some locations, Tom was permitted to find housing so his family could join him. Tom and Bernice and their children were able to live part of their lives in such places as England and Germany. But Tom also served tours when his family stayed state-side. Viet Nam was his final mission before retiring in 1968.

Tom was able to complete two years of college while serving with the Air Force even though he often was places where he’d live with the reality of having to be in another part of the world within ’24 hours.’ He once hoped he’d finish college once he was out. But such was not to be and Tom’s life has been successful even if not all dreams were fulfilled.

Tom and Bernice decided to move to Stanton, Iowa, where Tom began his insurance business and their children became involved in Stanton Community Schools. Although they’d lived in many parts of the globe, all five children graduated from Stanton High School. Tom and Bernice are both glad they chose Stanton as their hometown. They have both enjoyed making friends and participating in community life and events.

So what sparked Tom’s interest in painting? On one of Tom’s missions in Germany, he was fortunate enough to find an instructor who, as Tom says, took him from “Zero on.” Now Tom has both oil and watercolor paintings, but admits he likes doing watercolor most. He jokes that the turpentine needed for oil paintings can make an artist kind of ‘dance-y’ if the place isn’t ventilated well enough and that would interfere with what he intends to put on the canvas.

Tom’s subjects are usually what has appealed to his ‘color sense’ and are of things he’s found interesting. He also chooses things he knows he can put on canvas. His paintings are not ‘modern art,’ if by that we mean art with titles that leave us scratching our heads about what the artist saw that we onlookers don’t. Tom claims his art is ‘real’ and that those who purchase one of his pieces will know if they’re carrying a landscape, a cowboy, Indian, or whatever subject in a painting caught their eye while visiting his gallery in Stanton.

Tom does not have frames for most of his work. Frames are so often a personal choice and dependent upon many factors. Tom has made frames in the past, but he’d rather be painting. And those who’ve seen his paintings, are glad he’s kept at it.

Tom’s artwork can be seen most weekdays, and at other times by appointment. To insure you’ll be able to tour his studio, you can reach Tom at 829-2427.