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Lighthouses have always provided a guiding light and Paul Heller’s illuminated 3-D glass lighthouse creations are no exception. Lighthouses continuously provide a welcoming beacon and a guide to navigating difficulties whether it be personal or business related, at home or in the office.
“Lighthouses are my favorite creations currently,” the towering six foot seven Atlanta-based glass artist exclaimed. A few months ago, Paul installed his Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse creation in the Chicago office lobby of the international hedge-fund company, Lighthouse Partners.
The firm is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, in close proximity to the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, and its logo reflects this. Paul’s 45-inch tall lighthouse stands proudly on the reception desk. The lighthouse glass coloration is equally beautiful in its fully lit or unlit state. A timing circuit has been incorporated into the piece where the illumination goes off and on thus creating dynamic art.
Paul further explained, “I uniquely combine illumination, glass, and 3-D forms with intrigue in every piece. My art is a bit outside the box in terms of categorization, as it includes a combination of mosaic, stained glass, and electronics. Unlike a stained-glass artist, my craft is done without leading. Like mosaic artists, I mount glass to a form; however, I use much larger pieces of glass and clear adhesives to allow light to penetrate the finished piece.”
Paul considers himself 50 percent a glass artist, 40 percent a carpenter, and 10 percent an electronics engineer. His custom 3-D forms made of fiberglass, plexiglass, and wood require a multitude of carpentry skills. The illumination is accomplished with low-voltage and long-lasting LEDs that plug into standard outlets.
Many companies incorporate a lighthouse into their logo or branding as it projects feelings of guidance, comfort, and long-standing tradition. These are important characteristics that consultant, insurance, and financial companies want to project to their existing and prospective clients. Beyond these positive perceptions, illuminated art provides an instant connection as the viewer’s attention is immediately captured from the glowing, vivid colors radiating from each piece at first encounter.
Besides the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Paul has made creations of the spiraling St. Augustine, Florida Lighthouse and the historic Montauk, New York Lighthouse. He was honored to have his Montauk Lighthouse on exhibit at the National Lighthouse Museum in Staten Island, New York.
In addition to lighthouses, Paul has enjoyed the variety and challenges of illuminating other subjects for different venues, such as creating full-sized musical instruments for the walls of “The Local,” a live music venue and restaurant in Nashville.
Paul Heller’s illuminated art can be a meaningful focal point of light combined with beauty to enhance any setting. You can see samples of Paul’s art on his website at www.PaulHellerArt.com and in person at various shows. Contact Paul through his website, by email Paul@PaulHellerArt.com or by phone (770)289-1916 to get your own glass art creation just for you!
This story appeared in the
Nov/Dec 2019 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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