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In the Studio
The Barn
Set in a renovated tobacco barn on Southern Maryland farmland, Mary Ida Rolape’s mosaic
studio is both workspace and inspiration. In addition to an owl who nests in the upper levels of
the barn, the barn houses an extensive collection of stained glass, fused glass elements, tiles
and found objects to be used in the mosaics and all of the equipment, tools and materials necessary to construct them, including a ceramic kiln to create colorful elements that will be incorporated into the mosaics.
The Glass Shack
This Studio houses the kilns and glass materials from which the fused glass is created. This small space is a challenge for organization as the basic glass is needed in multiple forms from glass sheets to crushed glass to glass enamels which are intensely colored glass powders that are used to highlight the glass artwork. Each project commands the entire space. As each is completed, the space is cleaned up and reorganized until the next project begins.
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Fused Glass
In many ways, the creation of fused glass is
similar to the creation and assemblage of mosaics. Small pieces of glass are created for use in larger projects. But fused glass is more intense in that every step presents risk to the artwork. Glass pieces are layered, mixed and stretched through heat to be transformed into glass much different than the original product. This process creates the depth of swirling colors within each finished fused glass piece. Each piece is subjected to multiple firings in the kiln and each firing creates the risk that the piece may fail the rigors of the process. All artists feel like their work is their “creation”. Glass artists know
that until the final firing is done, their work may not survive. It is expensive and time consuming to create fused glass. So it is with the joyful relief of a new parent that glass artists greet their finished work.
Mosaics
Mary Ida creates mosaic art with a careful eye for color, texture, and design. She creates ceramic sculptures and tesserae as well as fused glass elements that she combines with found objects to create her sculptures. Piece by piece, she arranges small fragments into compositions that reflect the beauty of nature. Her process is both detailed and creative, blending patience, craftsmanship, and artistic vision to transform individual pieces into a unified and expressive work of art.
