From my hands to yours
Casey · Age 5 · Westmeath
Casey was watching the news coverage of the war in Ukraine and was asking questions about why all the boys and girls were packed into the train stations with their tiny suitcases and pet cats and dogs in tow. She felt sad that they had to leave their homes and separate from their families.
I decided to help Casey create a piece of art to cheer her up but also to celebrate the extraordinary spirit of the Ukrainian people, particularly the children of Ukraine who have had to face such horrendous chaos and turmoil in their short lives.
Casey settled on the concept of a giant candle for her design, as she said that “Candles are warm at night and they also give light, so the boys and girls won’t feel scared”. We decided to create it on a large scale (thankfully we had an old roll of wallpaper under the stairs!) and she painstakingly coloured in the candle with her own hand prints in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. It is a touching tribute from a very compassionate little girl and the creative process from initial concept to finished work has helped alleviate the worry and concerns she had for her Ukrainian peers. She feels like she has extended her hands out to the Ukrainian boys and girls and sent a little light into a very dark situation, which to a proud uncle like me is quite an extraordinary thing indeed!
