Paul Stankard looks around the studio and marvels at how fast forty-five years have passed.

He has spent much of that time deeply absorbed in creating his glass flowers, which in the early days caused him stress and poor health.

“The creative process can be uncomfortable, and there are times that I don’t want to be in the studio,” says Stankard, sitting at his bench. “But it’s a creative need—a need to pursue and share a personal vision.”

Stankard’s vision is to articulate the spiritual dimension in nature through his floral interpretation, while striving for organic credibility. He is also mindful of how his work fits into art history in general, and that has been a strong motivating factor in recent years. . . . . .