Ireland on Elm

WOOD
This Elm now extinct in Ireland has been reclaimed from a traditional Cottage Maker, based in a forest near Bushmills, in the heart of the Irish countryside.
This piece is 12kg, and has a unique cross-sectional shape.
Finished for interior use.
Fixings haven't been attached yet, to preserve the integrity of the wood. Able to rest against surface, but with appropriate fixings, can be easily hung.
 
DESIGN
The artwork is burned free hand. 
Signed and dated, this will be a complete one of a kind.
 
ABOUT THIS PIECE
However you feel about it, it seems that the island of Ireland, and us who live on it are going through change.
 
But regardless of your opinion on what wrongs everyone else's ancestors perpetrated, or where your patriotism lies, I think we can all agree that we live on a beautiful island. We have a responsibility, and the immense privilege to remember this land's magical past. To honour the ancient connections between this island and us, we who've been entrusted to care for it.
No matter what boundaries and borders we build and stoke, there will be eternal elements that unite us. Things that have been here long before us, and things that will outlast even the hardest of man-made divisions.
Even though we aren't always friendly to each other, we are renowned for our friendliness across the world. We are a kind, compassionate and magical group of people... no matter how you pronounce your H's, or what colour your passport is. We all have a part to play in remembering our past and shaping it's future. We might all be characters one day in a fairy tale; we might all be remembered alongside Finn MacCool and The Children of Lir... and I hope to be on the side of positivity.
It's taken a year to finish this piece, this is our love letter to this island. There are no borders because it's not a political piece; this is a celebration of the ancient and everlasting land of Ireland. The colours aren't a stance, they have no agenda. Everything about this piece is gratitude to our land's magical history and the infinite potential for it's wonderful future.
Elm is a rare tree to find in Ireland now; we are very fortunate to have this, and to have such a beautiful piece of it. The moment we saw it, Anto saw the shape of Ireland in it. We were told that Elm can symbolise 'Balance & Peace', which could only be a good thing for our island right now.
The Wolf in Celtic mythology could be seen as a positive symbol of transformation; a guide and a helper. It was the longest decision for this piece of work, deciding which animal to include. It was reading the meanings of the different animals that made our mind up... if we are going through any change as an island, we could do with as much help as we can get.
We've featured the Triskelion in the wolf design; we read that it can symbolise many things, but one idea that it represented the trio of past, present & future. All of which are important, but none should dictate wholly the other.
"Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine"... in the shelter of each other the people live. We need each other.