The Art of Wood Turning
Woodworker, teacher and independent business owner Thomas Hasting will share his talent and enthusiasm for this elegant art form during Talk About Art presented by the Coastal Arts Guild Thursday November 19 from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Newport Visual Arts Center in Newport. Hasting’s creations will also be featured with other artists in the upcoming VAC exhibit “From Forest to Form: Celebrating the Art and Heritage of Oregon Coast Woodturning.”
Hasting, who has been woodturning since 2006, says that although he is ostensibly retired, he operates Hasting Coastal Woodworks in South Beach and keeps busy teaching woodturning classes and operating a gallery of wood turned items. “I use whatever hardwood I can get, but prefer using local wood, as most of my customers are tourists who are not from the coast and are looking for local products. Once in a while I get a piece of exotic wood. I enjoy doing non-traditional turning as well as doing the standard bowls, boxes and vases.”
According to Hasting about 70 percent of the training is done for people who have never worked with wood before. He also occasionally offers classes to home-schooled children. “I’m a one-man shop,” says Hasting, “so I have to be able to help gallery customers while giving instruction.”
Additionally Hasting serves as President of the Oregon Coast Woodturners who meet on the third Saturday of the month at his shop. He is a member of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW), past Vice President of the Oregon Woodturning Symposium (2025), and continues to sit on the board of that organization (2015-2027).
Coastal Arts Guild’s monthly Talk About Art series brings local and regional artists to share their work, inspirations, and stories with the Central Coast community. All are welcome and admission is free (donations welcome). For more information email coastalartsguild@gmail.com.