Ric Smith is a native Texan raised in Gillespie County.  As a young boy, his daily chores included chopping wood for the stove where his grandmother prepared meals for the family.  Little did he know that this tedious task would spark his interest in wood.
 

Ric has always been fascinated with our native Texas woods and woodworking in general.  He has studied wood and its characteristics all his life.  The grain and texture of our native Texas woods hold a special interest.  He has accumulated a wide assortment of tools and, since his retirement, has endeavored to create interesting pieces using native woods such as pecan, mesquite, live oak, Osage orange, longleaf pine, and black walnut.  He recovers interesting pieces of wood from old buildings, creeks, and riverbanks and uses the natural shape of the wood to make useful, decorative, and unique pieces of furniture.  Ric has collected a fair supply of wood from various sources and is always on the prowl for more.  He is self-taught and reads extensively, trying to improve his understanding of art and furniture design.