At the age of 49 Gary Hastings traded his passion of chasing around after golf balls for the joys of making sawdust. He soon discovered that the creative process of making objects from wood not only gave him satisfaction, but, he was also pretty good at it. After 2 years of developing his woodworking techniques, he found that people were willing to pay for his creations and his hobby became a business. 24 years later, Gary continues to market his work in art shows and galleries, as well as making custom pieces for private customers.

As a Texas woodworker, based on his rural property outside of Fredericksburg, it’s natural that Gary primarily uses mesquite in his products, which may also by composed of mixed hardwoods. His handmade boxes and furniture are characterized by the use of half lap and miter joints with splines and corner biscuits, not only for strength, but, also to add interesting visual effects. Gary describes his work as “Fine Rustic” with natural irregularities, but with clean joints and a refined finish. His business name is Texas Hardwood Art Gallery