Nature’s Lungs (a climate-active woodcarving project)

Richie Clarke made his mark with a group of enthusiastic students from Mrs Audrey Brown’s, fifth-year art class at St Finian’s College, Mullingar when he visited on Monday 26 September. It was a fantastic opportunity for the students to avail of a workshop run by the Creative Ireland Programme.

Richie shared his passion for his work with the students, his love of nature and the impact and input these young people will have on the environment in their lifetimes.

He also explained how he became a wood carver, and discussed topics such as public and private commissions, and the variety of wood types he has worked with.

He demonstrated the various tools he uses, such as chainsaws, mallets and cutting tools and students gained hands-on experience, leaving their marks on a piece of wood which now sits on the grounds of the school.

The project is part of the Creative Ireland Programme 2022 with Westmeath County Council called ‘Nature’s Lungs’.

A spokesperson for St Finian’s stated that the idea is that the natural world is the lungs of the planet, and our awareness of that needs to grow stronger and become an accepted culture of responsibility and protecting the environment in our lifestyle choices and behaviour.

One voice is a start but a multitude of voices become a movement! By each of us using our voice and ‘making our mark’ in a positive way, we can affect greater change through a movement, or a coming together of like-minded attitudes.

The sculpture at St Finian’s represents how physically a single mark is not necessarily obvious, but when joined by many others, it becomes bigger, something more, which cannot be ignored.

So, the sculpture will be created by us all, making marks to transform the surface of the wood into something else entirely.