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Jeri Hardy is an accomplished artist whose subjects vary from the spiritual to the whimsical. Mrs. Hardy’s art reflects both her deep spiritual beliefs and her
 joy for life. She is known as the “Cross Lady” because of her artistic interpretation of the cross. Her paintings and prints are characterized by exuberant colors and textures. Her art can be defined as mixed media Christian art. Jeri Hardy is located in Pascagoula, Mississippi and her art is displayed in galleries throughout the Southeast. Hardy studied art at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and at the University of Southern Mississippi. She initially started out drawing but her work slowly progressed to more realistic art with watercolors and has transformed into very “mixed media” works of art. Her art is classified as mixed media art. Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct visual art media. For example, a work on paper or canvas that combines paint, ink, and collage could properly be called a "mixed media" work. There is no limit to the mediums Hardy uses for her art. Her favorite medium to use is hand-dyed wool and yarn found in specialty shops around her home in Mississippi. She can braid it, thread it, shred it, tear it, or mold it. Mrs. Hardy also likes to use molding pastes in many of her works. Molding pastes are opaque products that can be used to create textural surfaces. Manipulation can be done while wet, or after the paste has dried. Molding Paste can be sanded, carved by hand or with power tools, and are useful for creating highly textured, impasto techniques. Sometimes, the molding becomes the artist itself. Once Hardy applies the molding paste to the canvas, it dries into something different than she anticipated. Sometimes figures appear in the paste and she brings them out with watercolor. Jeri Hardy h  as commissioned several pieces of her art for collectors in the Southeast. Many of her clients request her cross pieces. These are the foundation for which her spiritual art is based. Jeri starts by creating the cross out of hand-dyed yarn and then she continues by building around the cross. She layers molding paste around the cross and draws into the paste. Sometimes she includes old Biblical villages, Jesus’ mother Mary, and orbs. She also uses acrylics, gold leaf, and beads. She will entwine beads throughout the cross and over into the picture. Jeri Hardy really enjoys working on her cross pieces.Jeri Hardy did not start out creating spiritual art. As her life became more spiritual, so did her art. Jeri was hesitant about having her art so blatantly Christian and spiritual because she was fearful they would not sell. She soon realized that she was not being true to herself and her faith. Jeri made a conscience decision to concentrate on her art’s spiritual message and she has been blessed ever since. She has more opportunities than she could ever imagine and her art continues to grow. Jeri Hardy reputation as a great artist continues to grow in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area and in the Southeast. She is widely regarded for her cross pieces and has commissioned several pieces for clients all over the United States. |