Paula Stokes

Paula Stokes is strongly influenced by Scandinavian and American design. Attention to form, line, texture, functionality and use of colour are central to her practice. Collages created through printmaking are the starting point for her finished glass forms, providing her with the opportunity to explore colour combinations and composition.

Her making process often involves using a team of people for extra large work. A dense concentration of colour, or overlay is applied to a clear bubble and allowed to cool. Layers of clear glass are gathered over the overlay before air is blown in to the bubble. Once there is enough volume, the bubble is sculpted using heat, gravity, compression and momentum. She deliberately makes off-centre work resulting in organic and gestural forms. Sandblasting of the surface alters the finish, making it look soft and pliable.

Stokes graduated from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin with a Bachelor of Design in 1991. She specialised in printmaking at the University of Washington and was awarded the Milnora Roberts Scholarship for Academic Excellence in 2005. She regularly instructs and teaches glassblowing in schools and colleges in the USA and Ireland. She is currently based in Seattle, USA.