When a man watches a pile of firewood being sent to a landfill, Ivan Benavidez sees a work of art waiting to be found. "They can throw it away, burn it and forget about it," says Benavidez. "But when I opened it up, it showed these beautiful grains, and it was unlike anything I'd ever seen."
Benavidez owns Seaside Wood Co. , also known for his unique woodcarving and home furnishings, in his hometown of Los Fresnos. When he first started his carpentry business, he experimented with driftwood found on a beach near his home, but the material was tough from prolonged exposure to salt and sun. Now he scours the roadsides for leftover cultivars from the Rio Grande Valley, including mesquite honey, Mexican ash, and the rare Texas ebony prized for its black heartwood. It's a smart business model that pays nothing for raw materials, and Benavidez says it allows him to create the artwork he wants with a message behind it. Its mission is to showcase one of South Texas' most beautiful natural resources.
Using techniques adapted to the species, Benavidez emphasizes the natural pattern of the wood. White vinegar and steel wool are used to oxidize the mesquite and turn it from red to black. "It doesn't wash off on its own, so you can still see all the grain and definition," says Benavidez. This retains the effect of burning Mexican ash, which involves turning the wood on a lathe while burning the outer layer. He dabbles in "force majeure", using a combination of mechanical and manual tools to create sculptures inspired by other natural wonders such as sand and coral.
The statues sell for thousands of dollars and are displayed in galleries on South Padre Island, but Benavidez also sells smaller, more affordable pieces through Etsy and his Procured Life + Home store in Harlingen. Most are finished with beeswax and mineral oil rather than chemicals or epoxy because Benavidez wanted the wood's natural feel and texture to shine through.
He's not the only one who sees potential in one of Texas' richest resources. See five other Lone Star State timber businesses that prioritize sustainability below.
7 layers renaissance (spring)
Sean Sink is an avid skateboarder and self-proclaimed "skateboarder". In his two decades in the sport, he has amassed a complete line of skateboards (wooden platforms mounted on four wheels).
"I know what it's like to have certain memories of certain tires," says Sinek, who also works as an auto mechanic.
In 2018, his mother was diagnosed with cancer, and as a distraction, Sinek decided to improvise Broken Plates. Friends and local skate shops in Houston now send him their discarded decks, so he has more than 300 options to choose from when making things from flower pots to beard combs. Zinc can create a multi-colored effect with plywood, or save a few pictures of an original painting, like a regular knife set.
Art Brian Phillips (Austin)
Brian Phillips has been painting on wood since the early 2000s, but only once purchased material for his makeshift canvas—one that didn't work well in an old mining town shack. "The rest was found, sold or given to me," he said.
Phillips sources from all over Austin - junkyard, junkyard, repairs pal. His large-scale paintings and woodcut collages can be found at CommerceGallery in Lockhart and AustinArtGarage in South Lamar, outside the original Salt Lick BBQ, The Moody Center, and in hotels throughout D.C. Depictions of cowboys, robbers, and other exotic Western motifs abound. with colors and patterns, it's even more interesting with the exposed wood that Phillips deliberately left intact.
Maple + Plum (Argyle)
Ryan Renner's grandparents made furniture and cutting boards, but it wasn't until much later that he realized he might have a woodworking gene. What started as a hobby with a humming saw, some finishing nails, and a wooden plank from a neighbor has grown into an incredibly intricate wood mosaic.
He supplied most of the firewood for his barn locally, but as time went on it ran out (the old barn no longer exists) and was needed. So Renner expanded with other species including white oak, maple ragweed, sycamore, and hickory, as well as local carpenters dabbling in hardwood cuts. It retains its precious tree for different details.
"This tree cannot be faked or reproduced," said Renner. "It had been hanging in the air for decades, weathered by wind and sun. The paint peeled off perfectly. It told a story."
Dunswood (San Antonio)
For Darrell Dunn, working with dirty, unused wooden pallets provides freedom. "I still see beauty," he said. "It allows me to be as creative, experimental and free as I want to be."
Dunn started his carpentry business in 2013 when he helped a friend build a bed frame out of old pallets. She's been so busy with orders lately that she rarely has time to release a new collection (follow her on social media to find out when), but the entire Alamo city really enjoyed her work earlier this year when she teamed up with Mariah Williams. , owner of a local art gallery and studio, to create the Invisible Artists Bench project. They asked 10 black artists to make markings on 10 benches made of pallets Dunn built for temporary installation in the baggage claim area of San Antonio International Airport. They'll be ready by the end of the year, and Dan is already looking for more opportunities to win.
Next Schedule (Dallas)
When Sarah Harmeyer asked her father, Lee, in 2012 to set up a rustic table in her backyard so she could entertain neighbors, friends, and strangers for dinner, she never thought she'd become the blueprint for a larger movement. Inspired by his "passion to bring people together," people from 36 countries have purchased the Neighbor Table and are sharing his passion. Sarah personally delivered all 500 tables (and counting).
"I'm renting a truck and we're going to load a lot of tables in the same direction," says Harmeier, adding that it's an inefficient but satisfying business model. "I often eat with people for the first time."
Sarah's father recently retired and was replaced by Steve Dusk, a builder at Will's Point. Tables are made to order, but standard sizes (9 feet long for 10-12 people) are the most popular. They used western red cedar as a nod to the Texas landscape, and it's perfect for the outdoors.
