Photos from Opening Reception for "Portraits & Memories: Legacies of Service"

The artist reception for "Portraits and Memories: Legacies of Service" was wonderful and very well attended.  I was heartened that so many people from the community and some of our local State Representatives also attended.  I want to share with you the photos that my husband Keith took of all the people talking and sharing their stories.

Solo Show in November

I have a solo show, "Portraits and Memories: Legacies of Service" for the month of November in the Sage Gallery at the Lakeside Arts Park in Crystal Lake.

Artist Statement:

Lakeside Arts Park resident artist Jeanine Hill-Soldner presents Portraits and Memories: Legacies of Service.  This exhibit has been in development for almost two decades.  The title is a fusion of the Artists’ two most significant bodies of work Memories of an Era and Portraits of American Veterans Project.  Combining the paintings presents a bold gesture and sweeping exhibition that brings together the Artist’s story and three generations of American veterans with their personal stories. 

Both engaging and contemplative, the viewer will discover their own connections past and present with the veterans in their own lives.  The legacies of service from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq are reminders of the sacrifices that veterans have made through the Century.  The exhibit includes 24 life size oil portraits of local veterans and a selection of large oil paintings from Memories of an Era, which was featured on PBS and exhibited nationally in galleries and museums.  Meet the Artist and attend her Talk at 6:30, and meet many of the veterans featured in the portrait exhibit.

I will write more about this show soon, but for now I must prepare all the paintings, statements, descriptions and brochures for the the exhibit and installation of the work starting on October 31.  

The "Fearless" Exhibit

I am so excited that two of my paintings where accepted in the National juried exhibit titled "Fearless" at the Old Courthouse Art Center in Woodstock.

October  6– 29

“Fearless” National Exhibit

Old Courthouse Art Center

101 Johnson St., Woodstock, IL

Reception: Saturday Oct. 15, 6-9 p.m.

This is an oil painting depicting my son Alex on the long term parking commuter train in the international terminal at O'Hare Airport in Chicago.  The painting titled "World Traveler" measures 40"high x 60" wide.

This painting is also oil on canvas and depicts my daughter Michelle on the same train at O'Hare Airport.  This is oil on canvas and measures 40"high x 30"wide.

My husband Keith and I have enjoyed the opportunity to travel throughout Europe with our two children Michelle and Alex.  I think that the way the world is today that international travel does take a bit of a "fearless" attitude as in the title of the show these two paintings will be a part of.

I like to build depth in my work so that the flat surface of the canvas takes on a more three dimensional space with believable depth.  The main figure is usually dominant in the foreground and the middle ground is occupied by more figures and the background fades to cooler colors and softer edges.  I love the entire process from working out the composition to the final brushstrokes.  I look forward to completing the new canvases that I am stretching and starting on new work.
 

Exhibiting in the show "Beyond Rosie the Riveter: Women at Work"

I will be showing my oil painting "Captain Dana, R.N. USAF"

in the Koehnline Museum of Art at Oakton Community College for the show "Beyond Rosie the Riveter: Women at Work". Dana is one of the veterans who generously shared her story and image with me for my "Portraits of American Veterans Project". The show details: Oakton Community College, 1600 Golf Rd., Des Plaines, IL Dates: Sept. 29- October 21, Reception and Artist Talk- Thursday, Sept. 29 5-8 p.m. I will be at the reception to share Dana's story and meet with gallery visitors.
This is my statement for the exhibition:

Strong hard working women build a better more peaceful world. I chose to honour, a woman I admire, Air Force veteran Dana Mayer.  Dana enlisted in the military after nursing school, later working as a transport nurse in Iraq and Afghanistan saving lives on planes, in hospitals and in villages.  She is one of the four brave women represented in my “Portraits of American Veterans Project”. Women have a long history of service in the US military working hard, doing their jobs, with passion and commitment. Thank you Dana for your service.

Bringing Back My Quarterly Newsletter

Good News Upcoming Exhibitions of "Portraits and Memores: Legacies of Service"

PORTRAITS AND MEMORIES: LEGACIES OF SERVICE 

When you bring together two large bodies of work and three generations of stories you find the reflection of a time and the lives of it’s people in the images and stories.  I have brought together my “Portraits of American Veterans Project” and “Memories of an Era” to create a sweeping exhibition that engages the viewer in discovering they’re own connections to the veterans in their lives and communities.

I'm working on more extensive documentation and descriptive text to bring both bodies of work together.  

 

"Memories of an Era: Reflections of Our Time" exhibit in the Sage Gallery 2005.

            

"Memories of an Era: Reflections of Our Time" exhibit at the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in 2007-08.

    

"Portraits of American Veterans Project" in the Sage Gallery 2013

"GE Cultural Diversity Corporate Gallery" Fairfield , Connecticut 2012.

Getting Back to MY Art

I have enjoyed a wonderful summer with the birth of my first grandchild, a beautiful boy named William Patrick.   I do love babies and the promise that new life brings to the world.  And yes, I know I am a woman artist and women artists are told that you cannot be a successful artist and have children, let alone grandchildren.  Well to that I say, what do you consider successful?

New Show with Chicago Women's Caucus for Art

My new oil painting "Observation" is oil on canvas and measures 36"x 36" and will be on exhibit at the Mayslake Peabody Estate Gallery during the months of June and July.

My oil painting "Confluence" will be in the catalogue for the show at the Peabody Estate Gallery where I will show with members of the CWCA.

Art With a Purpose: "Faces Not Forgotten"

I learned about Faces Not Forgotten from Arlene Rakoncay, the president of the Chicago Women's Caucus for Art.  She sent all members of the CWCA a link to the information about this powerful art project that puts a face on the young victims of gun violence in America's cities. 

The Faces project was started by artist, Christine Ilewski. She began painting portraits of children who have died from victims of gun violence in memory of Lorenzo Rosebaugh. It is her hope that by putting a face to these victims, we can raise awareness about gun violence in the USA.

Posting pictures is a powerful way to promote engagement, as pictures tend to garner more views, likes, shares, and comments than text alone. Join us as we present thirty-four Chicago artists who responded to the call for artists, to join our social justice movement by painting portraits of Chicago youth who have lost their lives as victims of gun violence.

I painted the portraits of Thomas James Randolph and Rolanda Marshall.  The completed portraits have exhibited at Genesis Art Gallery, Bloomingdale Gallery and in June they will exhibit in the Phantom Gallery.  Printed on canvas the portraits will be then stitched together to form a quilt that will become part of a traveling exhibit.  The original portraits will be presented to the families of the victims at a special ceremony at the Phantom Gallery in Chicago.

Rolanda Marshall was 14

Thomas James Randolph was 20