Vietnam era inspires Algonquin artist's work

Jeanine Hill-Soldner knows firsthand that war leaves slow-healing wounds.

More than 40 years after she saw her father head off to Vietnam, the Algonquin artist finally was able to overcome her most heart-wrenching memories through a series of oil paintings.

The 13-piece exhibit, "Memories of an Era: Reflections of Our Time" draws on experiences as a 7- and 8-year-old child living in a military family.

For the next six months, her work will be on display at the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, with an artist's reception at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Hill-Soldner used family photographs from 1965-66 and replicated them into 6-foot-tall oil paintings, which span almost 250 square feet and represent more than seven years of constant work.

Some paintings are of photos taken by her father, Sgt. Daniel Hill, while he was stationed in Vietnam; others were taken by her mother in the U.S. during the same period.

The first painting in the series, titled "Going Away," depicts a stunned family faced with saying goodbye.

"Dan called me at home one day and said 'When the kids get home from school, don't let them go anywhere,' " said Hill-Soldner's mother, Maggie Hill. "He said he was leaving in six hours and asked me to pack some bologna sandwiches."

He did not return for 14 months.

Another piece is a triptych of three images. The centerpiece is of Dan Hill dressed in military gear, grinning and drinking beer. To the right is Maggie Hill, sitting outside in a lawn chair with an empty seat beside her. To the left is Hill-Soldner and her sisters.

"I was thinking about the loneliness and innocence our family felt in different places," Hill-Soldner said.

There are times in life that you're more aware of your surroundings and emotions than others, she said. "Being a 7- and 8-year-old was one of those times."

The seven-year painting process proved for Hill-Soldner to be "very cathartic. I found I was able to talk about and actually resolve a lot of issues I thought I could never get over," she said.

Subtleties in the paintings often represent much deeper issues. An orange sky, for example, represents toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

Hill-Soldner's father died in 1993 from prostate cancer, which was linked to his exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam.

"That's one of the subtleties, but I work intuitively, and don't always recognize them until others point them out. You bring your own experiences into play when you look at a work of art," she said.

See her art

Where: National Vietnam Veteran Art Museum, 1801 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago

When: Through June

Tickets: $10 adults, $7 students

Info: www.nvvam.org www.soldnerfineart.com