"First Friday on First" presenting "Mosaics big and little" with SUZAN HATCH & JOI TRIPP

Yesss! First Friday on First is a THING…
ART on FIRST presenting "Mosaics big and little", the Artist Reception for SUZANE HATCH and JOI TRIPP as the featured artistS. They will be available for the evening to talk about their new work.
We will also have live music, nibbles & libations.
See you here…

ABOUT JOI TRIPP:
Joi Tripp

Joi Tripp was born in Joliet, IL. She has never been in prison and considers herself to be a true child of “Chicagoland”. She received a Master of Fine Art from The Art Institute of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

As a student Joi Tripp began making clay sculpture embellished with beads and Austrian crystals. Then she discovered Smalto glass. It’s made in Murano Italy. Smalto glass is generally used in mosaic wall panels. When Smalto glass is heated again and pulled in the shop like hot taffy it becomes tiny rods called Filato. Filato looks like brightly colored spaghetti. The artist cuts and files the tiny rods into pieces averaging 2mm x 2mm. These small pieces are placed into an epoxy adhesive bed that is permanent. Traditional subjects include gardens, flowers and rural scenes. Gemstones and borosilicate glass beads frame the pendants. The trade name of borosilicate glass is Pyrex. It’s a high temperature glass not prone to breakage.

Micro mosaic jewelry was popular among royals for centuries before the Vatican Studio opened in 1727 to maintain the Vatican’s immense mosaic collection. It’s still open.
It was reputed to be the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, as the largest collection of micro mosaics in the world resides in the Victoria & Albert Museum, in London.
Over the years the Vatican artists experimented with using tiny left-over glass shards to make personal works. This tiny sparkling work soared in popularity across the wealthy capitals of Europe. Micro mosaic jewelry became the great example of jewelry as art.


ABOUT SUZAN HATCH:

Suzan Hatch
Suzan Hatch is an artist based in southern Oregon. Working from her home studio, she produces unique and highly collectible artwork that has a distinctive personal style.
“I create mosaic artwork using glass, metal, ceramic, semi-precious stone, and other interesting and fun materials to form intricate designs. For many of my pieces I build a 3D substrate beginning with chicken wire, plaster and mortar. Using epoxy putty I am able to add depth, texture, and flow not found in traditional mosaics which enables me to create a woven tapestry that dances with color and light. Currently, I am embedding fused glass in my mosaics creating yet more dimension and interest. I also enjoy creating unusual and colorful fused glass functional art.”
Suzan has a BS in Psychology and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After working several years as a Computer Software System Engineer, she left corporate America, had a son, moved to Sedona, AZ and decided to explore who she was as an artist. She started by taking a drawing class from the local community center, followed by painting, and finally taught herself fused glass. She quickly established herself in the glass industry and showed her glass art in 3 galleries in the Sedona area.
When it was time to leave Sedona in 2017, she left her numerous kilns, glass working equipment, glass, and pretty much everything behind. It was time to move on; time to explore something new; time for a new chapter or whole new book. For a brief time, she resided in Colorado and developed a new mosaic style. She taught herself how to make substrates that flow. Using non-traditional adhesives and materials she developed a style with added dimension and textures. Suzan found herself in a new journey, but felt unsettled.
In 2020, Suzan moved to Ruch in Southern Oregon in the beautiful Applegate Valley where she finally found her home not only physically, but also artistically with a new glass kiln and both an outdoor and indoor studio where she has plenty of room to explore new mosaic forms, sculptures, and continue her fused glass adventure with a few splashes of paint as she goes.
Suzan shows her art in Art on First, in Ashland, OR, Art Presence in Jacksonville, OR, Gallery One in Grants Pass, OR, and Brian Scott Gallery in Brooking, OR. She also teaches classes.

You may also like the following events from ART on FIRST:

• Next Thursday, 19th June, 12:00 pm, “ART-in-ACTION” at ART on FIRST, featuring TOM BAKER, a live demonstration... in Ashland
• This August, 21st August, 12:00 pm, “ART-in-ACTION” at ART on FIRST, featuring SUZIE GREGG, a live demonstration... in Ashland

Also check out other Arts events in Ashland, Fine Arts events in Ashland, Music events in Ashland.