Junk wood left to rot is given another chance at Cochrane’s latest woodworking and graphic design business, Clarke Studio.
“The whole premise is that we don’t have to waste,” said Joshua Clarke, 30, creator of the one-man workshop.
“Every time I build something out of scrap and turn it into something new, it’s like giving something new life.”
Operating out of the basement and garage of his home, Clarke uses wayside materials from Fireside construction sites and dumpsters to craft furniture and home decor items.
“What I do is take old, forgotten, discarded pieces of wood, or rebar, or whatever I can find, and fashion it into something useful again,” said Clarke.
The Calgary-born engineer moved to town with his wife, Angela, in 2015 to get closer to the mountains and become part of a smaller community.
“When I moved to Cochrane, I decided to build most of our furniture with my two hands and use reclaimed material to do it,” said Clarke.
“Before that, it was in our little apartment on the balcony with my handsaw trying to make a lamp with sawdust everywhere.”
From lamps made of driftwood, coffee tables shaped from old pallets, and couches constructed out of old fence wood, Clarke’s home is fully decorated with his crafts.
“To be able to make your own kitchen table from scratch, it’s a pretty good feeling,” said Clarke.
Clarke’s latest projects include wall paneling for his bedroom, a new bedframe, and building an oversized dog bed for his dog, Aurora.
“We want to create a nice little comfy bed for her so she doesn’t jump up on our bed anymore,” said Clarke.
When he’s not woodworking in his garage, Clarke is toiling away on paintings, custom artwork, and graphic design in his basement studio, taking commissions online through services like Instagram and Pinterest.
“It’s a little creative haven to just come down to and generate some ideas,” said Clarke.
In addition to Clarke Studio, Clarke is also working to establish a new creative arts drop-in program for youth called Make Good.
“I want to create a space for youth to come and ignite that creative spark that all of us have,” said Clarke.
The program would seek the aid of volunteer mentors and involve activities such as reclaiming furniture, creating artwork, sewing and urban farming.
“You just need a space where you can come and just be curious and creative, and that’s what I’d love to create for the youth as well in Cochrane,” said Clarke.
He has pitched the idea to members of the Town of Cochrane administration and the Family and Community Support Services, who have “shown interest and like the idea.”
“I can’t do it on my own, and I wouldn’t want to,” said Clarke.
“It’s just about bringing the right people around the table and having a conversation about what’s possible.”
After completing his civil engineering program at the University of Calgary in 2008, Clarke proceeded to study counselling psychology at Mount Royal University.
“I quit engineering to do something more meaningful,” said Clarke.
Clarke spent the last decade working in the non-profit sector addressing homelessness, poverty, and addiction in Calgary. He now tutors mathematics at the Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane.
“A lot of what I learned from those experiences is what has led me to do what I’m doing now,” said Clarke.
“I saw people come alive who were 20 years on the street, and all of a sudden, they’re no longer homeless, and you see a life change.”
Through Clarke Studio and his future prospects, Clarke aims to improve the environment and surrounding community of Cochrane.
“The foundation of Clarke Studio is to use art and craftsmanship to be a force for good in my community,” said Clarke.
“Building a table out of scrap is a great metaphor for what you can do with your life. You can take what you got in front of you – and it may not look that great – but you can turn it into something beautiful and useful.”
More information and contact details can be found at clarkestudio.ca.
