Spark the Creative Flame: Making the Journey from Craft to Art

Spark the Creative Flame is a resource that strives to inform, inspire, and motivate all who work in craft, whatever the medium, and wish to improve the creative expression of their work, whether via college-level or other formal art and craft programs or self-directed learning. While the book features flameworked glass and a selection of the leading artisans who do this work, the insights and recommendations presented herein transcend material and speak to broader issues relevant to all creative craftspeople.

This work was compiled, and most of it was written, by Paul Stankard, an internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer in the studio glass movement. Paul s training in scientific glassblowing and employment in industrial scientific glass during the 1960s allowed him to master his craft before committing himself to life on the creative side. His successful transition from industry to studio art is due in large part to his need to be creative and his incessant pursuit of excellence in artistic expression.

Spark the Creative Flame is made up of three parts, presented in engaging and accessible language. The first section consists of three essays by scholar-artists that provide essential context for the book by considering the recent history of craft; the relationships among craft, design, and art; and the many facets of beauty. Section two presents a personal retrospective on the 50-year career of internationally acclaimed artist Paul J. Stankard. A pioneer in the Studio Glass Movement, Stankard is considered a living master in the art of floral paperweight making. The third section provides overviews of the careers of twelve highly regarded contemporary glass artists. Collectively, the reader is presented with insightful perspectives on the aspirations, strategies, challenges, and accomplishments of a representative sample of internationally respected flameworking artists.

Paul Stankard was born in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1943. He moved to southern New Jersey in 1959. Paul attended Salem Community College then known as the Salem County Vocational and Technical Institute from 1961 to 1963. He is the recipient of two honorary doctorate degrees and an honorary associates degree. He has lived and worked as a full-time studio artist since 1972. Paul is an internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer in the studio glass movement. He is considered a living master in the art of the paperweight, and his work is represented in more than 60 museums around the world. He is a Fellow of the American Craft Council and a recipient of the UrbanGlass Award Innovation in a Glassworking Technique. His life is more fully described in his autobiography No Green Berries or Leaves: The Creative Journey of an Artist in Glass.