Bird's Eye View

Drawing activity suitable for all ages.

Shuvinai Ashoona, Curiosity

Shuvinai Ashoona, Curiosity

Shuvinai Ashoona. Curiosity, 2020. Coloured pencil, graphite and ink on paper, Overall: 127.5 × 268 cm. Purchase, with funds from the Joan Chalmers Inuit Art Fund, 2020. © Shuvinai Ashoona, courtesy Dorset Fine Arts 2020/95

This is a line drawing of a work by Shuvinai Ashoona, titled Curiosity. Ashoona uses coloured pencils to create landscape scenes that include water, land, rocks, dwellings, people and large colourful figures as seen from above. How many dwellings do you see in this overhead view? What do the figures look like to you? Why do you think she titled the work Curiosity?

Shuvinai Ashoona is a third-generation Inuit artist living in Kinngait, Nunavut. She draws pictures of life in her home town. Her art shows the power of personal imagination, and she says the drawings evolve when she puts her pencil to paper. She responds to many of the influences on her community; there's a church, an iron man figure, many animals and vehicles.

ACTIVITY

Imagine you are a bird flying over your favourite place. Draw what you see from that perspective.

What colours would you use to draw the various things you see? Are there other things you would add to the space?

How else might you compose a view of your favourite space? What do you imagine your favourite place would look like from a worm’s eye view?


Be the first to find out about AGO exhibitions and events, get the behind-the-scenes scoop, and book tickets before your visit.
Sign up to get AGO news right to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.