Talented Tito wants greater respect shown to artisans

by Marlon Madden

“I was born with this talent”, declared 47-year-old Tito Clarke, as he spoke fondly of his ability to carve just about any object from wood.

Clarke, a mason by profession, is the owner of Blessed Wood Carving studio.

Taking a break from creating one of his latest masterpieces recently, the tradesman spoke to Today’s BUSINESS about his journey so far and his love for the craft.

“Since I start back up this work I don’t do [anything] else. Once it is my free time it’s carving,” he said.

Clarke, who currently operates from his small workshop next to his St Stephens Hill, Black Rock, St Michael home, said his love for woodwork and his need to earn a living were two of the main reasons for him starting back his carving in June last year, after a break for almost two decades.

Acknowledging that he could have been more advanced in wood carving, he pointed out that not having the right tools and pressed to support his family, he was forced to put his carving on the back-burner only a few weeks after he initially got started just over 20 years ago.

“I didn’t have the correct tools to deal with the work. I had to ease off. The tools I was working with were make-shift tools. All now, in all the hardware stores in Barbados, you can’t find tools in the stores for carving work and that is sad,” he said, as he also pointed to the low level of interest in carving among the population.

However, proclaiming to be a hustler, the father of one daughter and two sons said notwithstanding his job in masonry, he decided last year that he would resume his carving so he could earn a bit more to better meet the growing needs of his family and the rising costs of living.

He said his inspiration to revisit his carving last year was fueled from watching former reality TV series star and Youtuber Ryan Cook.

“When I see him doing it, I tell myself ‘this is the work I really love, if I could only be doing this work as my [full-time] job I would have so many pieces in my possession’,” he said.

However, a reality for Clarke is that wood carving is seemingly underappreciated in Barbados, people are not willing to pay the worth he places on his work and he said he has not been able to expose his work to tourists just yet.

Pointing out that he has “so much work done already” since he started last year, Clarke said he was yet to “get some money out of it”, adding that it was the love for the art that keeps him going.

“Since I start back up this carving work, I have done so many pieces and haven’t got a proper sale for [any] of the work that I am doing. It makes me feel I should stop because the average person today when they look at this work the first thing that come to their mind and mouth is ‘I ain’t got nuh money to buy that’, because they can see naturally that they are works that are going to last for a mighty long time and it cost money. The hard work that I put into it, I really need to be paid,” he explained.

Clarke, a former student of the St Stephen’s Primary School and the Deacons Training Centre, said he was never one that was academically inclined, but he enjoyed carpentry from a very young age and knew he wanted to work with his hands.

In fact, he describes himself as an international tradesman, possessing the skills of masonry, steel-bending and carpentry.

As for the wood carving, he said: “I love it so much, then. I don’t think I get the real respect I should. I guess it is because the people who would love these pieces and would buy them aren’t really seeing them”.

He said some of his family members overseas helped him to source the tools he needed to make it easier for him to do his carving, which he described as “real technical hard work”.

Declaring that since restarting he has been addicted [to his work], Clarke said: “I just want to create beautiful pieces that others would be happy with and feel good to know they have because it is going to last for a mighty long time”.

While most of the pieces he makes are of terrestrial animals and things related to the Caribbean, Clarke told Today’s BUSINESS he is able to carve just about any object. His carvings are done primarily from mahogany that he said is given to him.

To decide what piece he will carve a given day, Clarke said it was as if the wood would “talk” to him, adding that “you have to have some patience, vision and know-how”. One of his art pieces can take as little as one day or as much as a week to complete.

He advised anyone thinking about getting involved in wood carving to have patience and a lot of love for it in order to persevere.

Clarke said his greatest wish now was for a location to showcase his growing collection, which is well over two dozen pieces, consisting of carvings of human and various animals.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb