Rodolfo Rosas Hernandez has been creating mosaic art for fourteen years. The themes in his mosaic work are inspired from the patterns in nature. His creativity comes from interpreting those patterns; working to achieve tonal balance, harmony, and rhythm. The main material used in his art is stained glass. Rodolfo works with stained glass because it comes in an amazing palette of colors and textures and allows him to create interesting cuts to obtain flowing patterns; giving his mosaics more detail and a feel of movement.
“Joy is the word that describes creating mosaics to me. Through the process of creating each piece, my goal is to transmit that feeling. When the mosaic is exhibited, I like to see how people react to it; first with surprise or amazement, and then with a smile. That is when I know that they have understood and connected to it.”
Rodolfo explains his process of creating a mosaic by first selecting a surface that the glass will adhere to; free of dirt and sealed. The next step is to cut the stained glass into strips of different widths, and then using nippers, into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces are cut at different angles to obtain either cubed rectangular pieces or irregular triangular ones. Once all the glass has been cut, Rodolfo begins to glue the glass pieces starting with the main motif then followed by the background; one piece of stained glass at a time. When the glue has dried, he uses grout to fill in the separations between the glass pieces which helps to balance the tone of the colors to accentuate the glass pattern. He finishes the piece by applying a faux finish to the grout to obtain a deep color and a metallic sheen.
As all great artists, Rodolfo is always reaching for more. He hopes that he has helped to increase the popularity of mosaics in Mexico through his works and his teachings. “In the twelve years that I have been creating mosaics, I can say that I have developed a style of my own and I hope that I have inspired others to love this art form.”
Rodolfo Rosas Hernandez was born in Guadalajara México and raised in Tijuana México. While visiting Seattle Washington, Rodolfo studied techniques of mosaic art and developed his own noted mosaic style. He recently studied Visual Arts at the University of Guadalajara. Rodolfo is now residing in Albuquerque New Mexico.
Observing his vibrant colorful country of México, the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and the high desert beauty of New Mexico; Rodolfo’s mosaic art is influenced by all of these aspects. The flowing designs of his art reflect Rodolfo’s observations of nature and surroundings; putting into form the patterns of life.