VA Boston Healthcare System

Kleinedler's painting impresses upon the viewer the feeling of returning home with all its emotions, and the dreamlike fog of a strange, distant, and hostile place, of our past. Also notice the honor of the warrior and beauty of our homeland by his use of warm colors and bringing the foreground into focus.

Well-known local Veteran artist William Kleinedler recently donated a beautiful painting to VA Boston Healthcare System’s Fisher House. The painting titled “Inbound” adorns the wall of the family room and is a beautiful addition to the house.

In 2006, William, an OEF/OIF Veteran was injured in an IED explosion in Iraq. After spending months in the hospital and enduring years of surgeries, William went back to being an artist. He has created stunningly beautiful works that are displayed in such places as the Support Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas and USAA’s headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.   These days William is busy drawing, painting, and sculpting at his studio in New Braintree, Massachusetts, and taking on a new project using “therapy through art” to help with those who suffer from the effects of PTSD.

“I feel I have been blessed to have art in my life. I hope to build on my study in art so that it may improve through the years ahead and help inspire others,” said William. “I give many thanks to VA Boston Healthcare System and the Boston Fisher House for continually supporting my family and myself in this long road of recovery, and the opportunities to build my art.”  

“Inbound” is a beautiful drawing as is the description of it written by William:

“Inbound” is a drawing of an American Bald Eagle in flight and about to land on a tree branch. This drawing shows an eagle in a mountain setting among mountain hemlock and dense fog.

For any veteran to describe what it was like in combat is very difficult if not impossible. I’ve used cold gray colors and made the background foggy to symbolize any past war or conflict. The eagle, which represents any and all warriors, is coming out of the fog, out of the past, and is now coming home. When I came home from Iraq after being struck by an improvised exploding device (I.E.D.) I did not feel I was home until I felt the wheels on the aircraft touchdown on American soil. Thus I’ve drawn the eagle in flight and about ready to land. The title “Inbound” is for those warriors who did and still are coming home.

In this piece, I would like to impress upon the viewer the feeling of returning home with all its emotions, and the dreamlike fog of a strange, distant, and hostile place, of our past. I would also like to notice the honor of the warrior and beauty of our homeland by using warm colors and bringing the foreground into focus.

I am sincerely moved by this piece and it will serve to remind me why we defend our home and our freedoms. I hope it will be a thank you to all those who have served.”

To learn more about William’s story and view his art, please visit www.kleinedlerstudios.com