Paul Stankard

Following his father's advice, Paul Stankard studied glassblowing at a technical college and worked for ten years producing glass instruments for laboratories. As a distraction from the monotonous work, he made small glass animals and flowers and encased them within paperweights. Stankard took his work to a crafts show in 1971 and was offered $250 a week to leave his job and concentrate on making flowers. He has revitalized the tradition of paperweight making and encourages people to rediscover nature as they study his intricately detailed plants and flowers.