RED LAKE REGIONAL HERITAGE CENTRE
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Woodland Art

The Early Years

Art has always been a part of culture. Pre-contact indigenous art took the form of pictographs that helped mark important sites, tell stories and share messages to those that viewed them. After contact, indigenous art forms began to change. Beading became very popular among some cultures, while the art of creating pictographs disappeared. In the 1930's and 1940's Norval Morrisseau grew up listening to his grandfather's teachings. A medicine man and knowledge keeper, Moses Potan Nanakonagos, passed his knowledge on to Morrisseau. These early teachings would go on to inspire the rest of his life and his art.

Norval Morrisseau started very simply by drawing forms of animals in the sand with a stick. Later, he turned to drawing and painting. Norval used any materials he could get. Birch bark, craft paper, charcoal, pencil and paints were common materials, especially in the early days. As he gained experience, the themes of his art became more defined. He drew the animals in his grandfather's stories. One of the unique parts about his methods was the way he drew the animals and figures. Instead of attempting to use a hyper realistic method, instead he created  his art with bold lines, connective designs and what is commonly described as an x-ray view. Morrisseau also experimented with colour. Rather than using formal colour wheel pairings, Morrisseau chose colours based on the feeling he wanted to convey, the story he was telling and the subject matter. 


Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre
51A Highway 105 P.O. Box 64
Red Lake, ON, Canada
P0V 2M0
807-727-3006
[email protected]
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The Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre is a charitable organization, funded by the Municipality of Red Lake, the Ontario Ministry of Culture, and through fundraising activities. Reg # 87315 2714 RR001.

  • Home
  • Heritage Online
    • Puzzles
    • Podcast
    • Online Programming >
      • Bannock
      • Dream Catchers
      • Eco Printing
      • Flower Pounding
      • Fur Trade
      • Mushrooms
      • Pysanky
      • Suncatchers
      • Wild Teas
  • Exhibitions and Events
    • Events
    • Upcoming Exhibits >
      • 100 Years of Red Lake
    • Current Exhibits >
      • NNT
    • Past Exhibits >
      • Hospital History
      • SouthPaw Photography
      • EZHI NAMANG: HOW WE SEE IT
      • Triple K Art
      • Red Lake on the Move
      • Fish Stories
      • Red Lake Art Show >
        • Red Lake Art Show 2016
        • Red Lake Art Show 2017
        • Red Lake Art Show 2018
        • 2023 Art Show
        • 2024 Red Lake Art Show
      • Woodland Caribou Provincial Park
      • Fire People >
        • Fire 14-1
        • Fire 14-2
    • Red Lake Speaker Series
  • History
    • On This Spot
    • Red Lake History
    • Aviation History
    • Immigration
    • Residential Schools
    • Heritage Centre History
    • Red Lake District Souvenir Record
  • Gift Shop
    • Accessories >
      • Jewellery
      • Key Holders
      • Purses, Wallets & Bags
    • Local Artists >
      • Rhonda Beckman
      • Valerie Blab
      • Kaila Erb
      • Lauren Furman
      • Patrick Hunter
      • Aaron LeBlanc
      • Amy Newport
      • Hidehiro Otake
      • Mark Nadjiwan
      • Sara Ramer-Dean
      • Rebecca Saikkonen
      • Wendy Yutzy
    • Books & DVDs
    • Cards
    • Clothing >
      • Scarves & Hats
      • T-Shirts
      • Long Sleeves
      • Socks
    • Home & Kitchen >
      • Glassware
      • Home Décor
      • Kitchen
      • Mugs
    • Glass Ornaments
    • Magnets
    • Miscellaneous
    • Norval Morrisseau Designs
  • Support
    • Volunteering
    • Memberships
    • Donor Wall
  • About Us
    • Strategic Plan
    • Annual Report
    • Services
    • Our Mission
    • Collections Policy
    • Newsletter
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Staff & Board
  • Mailing List
  • Mining Map
  • Donate Now
  • Woodland-Art
  • Mural Project Survey Teachers