Where Art Meets Engineering 

When retired engineer Paul Erhartic of Davis, California begins work on one of his intricate 3D stained glass sculptures, he brings with him a lifetime of curiosity, craftsmanship, and scientific precision. His creations shimmer with light and color, but beneath the artistry lies the methodical mind of an engineer who has spent decades exploring how things work. 

“I’ve always wanted to know how things worked,” Erhartic said. “As a kid, I spent hours taking things apart and putting them back together.” 

That childhood fascination led him first to engineering science at Nassau Community College and later to the University of Hartford in Connecticut, where he earned his degree—and met his future wife. After graduation, Erhartic’s career took him throughout New England. “I went from New York to Connecticut, my first job was in Boston, my first home was in New Hampshire, and then I finally wound up in Rhode Island,” he said. “I’ve been in New England much of my adult life.” 

Erhartic’s path to stained glass began in an unexpected place: Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was temporarily stationed for an engineering project in 1984. While there, he enrolled in a night course in stained glass at the University of Tennessee. 

“I took the course and created some art while I was there,” he recalled. “That was in 1984.” 

But when his first child was born soon after, there was little time for hobbies. “I didn’t have time for stained glass again until I retired—about seven years ago,” he said. 

When he returned to the craft, Erhartic approached it with the analytical precision of an engineer. He fused his knowledge of materials science, bonding methods, and structural design with his creative sensibilities, transforming a traditional art form into something both modern and dimensional. 

Erhartic’s company, 3D Stained Glass, showcases his innovative approach. Rather than using the familiar copper foil or lead came methods of traditional stained glass, Erhartic assembles his works using a UV-hardened adhesive—the same type of bonding technology used in dentistry. 

“UV adhesive opens new design opportunities,” he explained. “It lets me go from 2D to 3D designs with ease. It’s a time-saving technique that eliminates the need for soldering and patina work—and it lets me join glass colors directly together without those black lead lines.” 

This innovation allows his sculptures to feel lighter and more organic—particularly his signature piece, a 34-inch high Great Blue Heron composed of more than 700 individual pieces of stained glass. 

“My goal for the heron was to bring together everything I’ve learned about materials, copperwork, glass, and lighting into one piece,” he said. The heron stands in a glass pond with copper grasses, lily pads, and cattails. LED lights concealed inside the sculpture illuminate it from within, their hues shifting gently to mimic the changing colors of dawn and dusk. 

The copper elements, treated to display natural and heat-induced patinas in blues, reds, and greens, give the piece a sense of timelessness. The result is both mechanical and poetic—a fusion of engineering discipline and artistic imagination. 

Erhartic’s fascination with glass originally grew out of his work in solar energy system design and installation, which also involved glass, copper, soldering, and light. That experience continues to shape his environmental philosophy. 

“I’m a firm believer in re-purposing materials,” he said. “Why create waste when you can re-purpose? I find it both stimulating and satisfying to give new life to an object that was going to be discarded.” 

That philosophy aligns naturally with the medium of stained glass, where fragments, colors, and textures come together to form something new and luminous. 

Much of Erhartic’s inspiration comes from observing the natural world. “I spend a lot of my time outdoors watching birds, animals, and insects,” he said. “I’m allured by wind, water, and sunlight—and I look for ways to bring those elements into my work.” 

He describes stained glass as both “delicate and strong,” a material that can reflect or transmit light, revealing different moods at different times of day. Copper, too, fascinates him for its malleability and its ability to evolve over time. 

“Over the years, copper develops a natural patina,” he said. “Or I can treat it to create unique colors and effects. It’s endlessly variable.” 

For Erhartic, stained glass began as a hobby but has now become central to his life. After a long career managing IT projects and developing new technologies, he finds satisfaction in applying that same inventive spirit to art. 

“Working with new technologies required being open-minded and finding new applications as they emerged,” he said. “That’s exactly what I’m doing now—only instead of computers and systems, I’m working with glass, copper, and light.” 

In every piece, Erhartic’s lifelong curiosity shines through—literally. His sculptures embody the same question that has driven him since childhood: How does it work? 

Only now, the answer comes not in formulas or blueprints, but in the play of light through glass. 

To see more of his work, visit 3DStainedGlass.com.

~ Al Zagofsky