Paul Giotopoulos labors day in and day out as an artist ”“ layering, shading, matching gradients of colors until the look meets his critical eye. He works with fast-hardening materials that need to be sanded and buffed until gleaming. He does his work quickly, each canvas with its own set of peculiararities. Once his clients are happy with his work, they carry it away and he moves on to his next project.
Up until about three years ago, his artistry remained ”“ for the most part ”“ hidden.
Unless, of course, someone smiled.
Giotopoulos, “Dr. G” to clients unable to pronounce his last name, is a dentist with an office in New Rochelle. His daily routine is to fix broken smiles, but on the weekends you”™re likely to find him at Urban Glass on Fulton Street, just off Flatbush Avenue, in Brooklyn. He is not participating in any tooth-related function, but rather is creating objects made of glass.
He is a glass blower. He took some heat from friends when he began his foray into the glass-blowing field. Certain words are magnets for sophomoric humor which, it seems, transcends age and art. Once his friends spied his elaborate and colorful pieces, they asked if he really created them. Owning up to the craftsmanship quieted his friends”™ ill-conceived remarks.
Â
Cutting his teeth
Growing up in Brentwood, on Long Island, Giotopoulos took a circuitous route to becoming a dentist. After high school ”“ where he participated in football and track “to no great avail” ”“ he joined the U.S. Army. Being stationed in Fort Sill, Okla., was pure culture shock for the 17-year-old. But once he got past the stereotypes, he breathed in the culture of the region and beauty of the Wichita Mountains, along with the schooling as part of the Army”™s Green to Gold program. After three years in Oklahoma, he returned to finish college at SUNY Stony Brook. He then returned to Fort Sill as a field artillery officer. After finishing his stint, he was off to Buffalo University to study at the SUNY School of Dental Medicine.
He did his residency at Queens Hospital Center where he repaired the teeth of immigrant children. The natural grain diet of many of the Third World immigrants didn”™t translate well for their dental health once they started eating the soda, chips and other sugary staples of the American diet. Because of the high number of cavities in the children ”“ often 15 per mouth ”“ it was easier to put them under general anesthesiology and perform the needed work.
After spying an ad in a dental society newsletter, Giotopoulos interviewed with whom would be his new colleagues. He has been at the New Rochelle office for seven and a half years.
Â
Still in love
Three years ago, a cousin asked if Giotopoulos would be interested in taking a class on glass blowing at Urban Glass, a not-for-profit that promotes “the use and appreciation of glass as a creative medium.” Sure, he replied. His cousin lost interest, but Giotopoulos stuck with it. A hundred pieces later, he”™s still in love with the craft. Several vases, pitchers and other work line the windowsill of his office.
He bought his own equipment and spends about four hours a weekend at Urban Glass. The hardest part for him is waiting ”“ up to 24 hours ”“ for the glass to anneal or cool, which changes the color. The best part of glass blowing for Giotopoulos is that it”™s fun and he doesn”™t have to meet the demands of clients the way the professional artists do. Although that might be changing a bit as he recently sold a piece to a decorator. He is considering selling more of his artwork and donating the money to either or both the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund or the American Legion”™s Legacy Scholarship. “I have a special place in my heart for veterans.”
And when he”™s not in the office or blowing glass, he”™s in the restaurant business. His wife, Lisa Bruce, and another couple co-own the Bliss Café, a vegan restaurant on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. They took over the restaurant four years ago when the owner decided to retire. After “six months of hell,” they all got a crash course in restaurant ownership and are doing well.
He doesnӪt display any of his work at the caf̩ because itӪs a small 35-seat eatery with no shelf space. He might want to rethink that since his Manhattan home is filling up with his works.
Â
