It’s often seen that people with a difficult childhood make their mark in the world. Jackie Harder is one of them, who, despite her difficult upbringing, took refuge in her imagination to create a wonderful miniature world as a mode of escapism from her problems. Her combination of art, fantasy and nature are now wowing the world.
It all started when Jackie picked up clay in 2015 to make her fairy gardens. She created an imaginary enchanted world and named it the Trillium Forest, which she populated with beings that have their origin in nature. Each and every creature of hers is one of a kind and is made up of polymer clay and epoxy clay or resin. She hand-sculpts them and also paints them with acrylic paints. She then places large expressive glass eyes on them to give them a human feel.
Jackie’s Trillium Forest is an enchanted one where many magical beings live. She has even given it a geographical location in the Appalachian region of the US, where native Trillium flowers grow in abundance. She has done much research in documenting species that inhabit her enchanted forest.
These include the Firefly Field that illuminates the path at night, the Fungi Kingdom holding a variety of magical mushroom creatures, the Magic Garden of small herbs, vegetable and fruits that were initially planted by humans, but are now looked after by the Little Witch, and so on. In other words, she has created a delightful fantasy world.
The underlying theme of Jackie’s enchanted forest is to demonstrate respect and care for the forest and its inhabitants. Such is the artistic uniqueness of her forest and its critters that these have become collectors’ items for both local and international clients. She not only participates in gallery shows but also sells her work online.
Jackie Harder
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