Robert Rothbard 

Hot glass wire artist, inventor, photographer, and designer.                        

MEDIUM: Glass, Wire Sculpture 

I am the sole creator of each piece of hot/warm glass and wire sculpture.

I work with hot glass above 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of my pieces are made up of a hot glass piece and one continuous piece of wire, others are just glass. I first get the glass up to temperature, this takes two days. Then, I work the glass using the traditional hand blown glass techniques. After the pieces are blown, they then must be held at over 900 degrees Fahrenheit for hours, and then slowly cooled to room temperature, which adds another day to the process. I make all my own cane, adding colors and patterns to my gather and pulling the hot glass into a rod and then cutting it into sections to add to my pieces.

My wire sculptures are made from one continuous piece of wire, no cuts, welds, or soder. They are called "Wire Works", it is kind of like drawing without picking up your pencil.

My creations are my original ideas, unless I am doing a portrait of a person or a "Wire Works" sculpture of a car, boat, house, etc., etc.

Much of my work just flows from my hands, without the use of a drawing or stretch. I believe what Alexander Calder once said: "Above all I feel art should be happy...."

Thank you for your interest!

Letters of Reference

Dr. Dub Narramore, Chairman Communication Arts, Austin College

Sara A. Roberts, Marketing Representative, Southern National Bank of Houston

Hugh Quinn, Curator of Herpetology, Houston Zoological Gardens

Hayden Valdez, Coordinator of Exhibits, Houston Museum of Natural Science

Dr. John L. Tveten, Curator of Entomology, Houston Museum of Natural Science

Bill Minner, Project Manager, Fluor Ocean Services, Houston, Texas

D.E. Ludwig, CADD Manager, Bechtel Power Corporation, Houston, Texas

Marge Ellison, Administrator, Montessori Country Day School of Houston

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton M.D., Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

Andrew Czimskey, Director, Parks and Recreation Dept., City of Bellaire

Kim Hixson Riemer, Child Life Coordinator, M.D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, Texas

R. Wayne Drummond AIA, Dean, College of Architecture, Texas Tech University

David A. Hinners, Project Manager, General Homes, Houston, Texas

Gail Morgan, Business Manager, River Oaks Baptist School, River Oaks, Texas

Bob Pruett, Director, Star of Hope Transitional Living Center, Houston, Texas

Rick Cavender, Officer, Rotary Club of San Antonio

Lydia O’Neal, Art Instructor, Keokuk Community Schools

Tom Seabold, Executive Director, The Keokuk Art Center

Jo Anne Smiley, Mayor of Clarksville

Dr. Smith, D.O. FACOFP

Mr. Jim MacBride, Board member and Chair of Facilities Committee, Voluntown Peace Trust, Inc.