A native of New Orleans, Jill Hackney studied painting at The Cleveland Institute of Art and  Louisiana State University, where she earned her BFA. She is a founding member is Studio 801, an artists’ cooperative in Baton Rouge. Best known for her still lifes, her focus is to show light’s impact on her subjects through layers of vertical and linear strokes. Using the natural texture of the wood she paints on, each painting is approached with a sense of nostalgia. The end effect is a union of the senses, which awakens feelings of joy, serenity, and peace.