About Gary Packard

I am attracted to any unusual character of a wood’s grain, whether it is old-growth pine or something more exotic like African padauk. I make that unusual character a focus of a project. I believe that it is a woodworker’s duty to respect the tree that supplied that wood, by accentuating its uniqueness. I attempt to highlight wood by integrating marquetry and other materials, including brass, stainless steel, and kiln-fused glass. Clock making, in particular, provides me the opportunity to animate what is normally a static wood object. My goal is an aesthetically pleasing conversation piece, artistic as well as functional.