| behind the brush |
Merry and Bright
Atlanta-based sculptor creates illuminated
glass pieces inspired by life on the water.
A glowing sword and
array of fins brings this
six-foot sailfish to life. See
more of the construction
process behind the
illuminated glass works of
Paul Heller on page 32.
As the glow of the holiday season
wanes with the new year,
WINTER 2021 | LAKE OCONEE LIVING 31
A
STORY BY TIA LYNN IVEY
one artist is creating ways to keep
light into your home year round,
through custom illuminated glass
sculptures.
Atlanta-based artist, Paul Heller,
has spent years developing these
one-of-a-kind art pieces, honing a
mix of carpentry with artistic inspiration,
much of which has come
from his life spent on the water.
Heller, a retired hotelier who once
hailed from the breezy Elkhart Lake
of Wisconsin, has incorporated his
love of sailing into his pieces, which
require various skill sets to bring to
life.
“I consider myself 50 percent a
glass artist, 40 percent a carpenter
and 10 percent an electronics engineer,”
says the self-taught artist. “My
art is tough to categorize as I don’t
believe anyone combines illumination,
glass and complex 3D forms
like I do.”
Many of Heller’s pieces are inspired
from the days he spent sailing in his
youth. “On Elkhart Lake, I worked