Drawing activity suitable for all ages.
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?
Draw (or colour) a landscape from a new perspective inspired by the artist, Shuvinai Ashoona.
- If you have access to a printer, print the activity card and colour in the line drawing.
- If you do not have access to a printer, create a curious landscape, using pen, pencil and a blank piece of paper.
What does your final composition look like? What would you try if you did it again? Share it with us at #AGOmakes @AGOToronto