Talking Points: Inspired by Birds
What makes birds such a great source of inspiration?
Birds come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colours, making them an exciting subject for artists. Some artists look closely at birds and record what they see, while others play with their forms and features to create something new. From the freedom of flight to the sense of community within a flock, there’s so much we can notice about birds and draw upon to inspire our own artwork.
Use the videos and questions below to explore the different ways birds have inspired artists.
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Ernst Haekel
Trochilidae–Kolibris from Kunstformen der Natur (1904) by Ernst Haeckel. Original from Library of Congress. Ernst Haekel was a was a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. Wiki
Questions to Ask Children
Describe what you see.
Look at the artwork as a whole – which words would you use to describe the whole piece?
Tell me about the details you like.
What do you think the artist is trying to say with this artwork?
How does it make you feel?
Hoang Tien Quyet
Hoang Tien Quyet, Origami artist, Vietnam. Hoang uses wet paper to make his origami creations. See his work at https://htquyet.origami.vn/tagged/designs
Questions to Ask Children
What do you think the sculptures by Hoang are made out of ?
How do you think he made them?
How do you think he decides how much detail to include or leave out?
How do they make you feel?
What do you think the artist is trying to say with this artwork?
John James Audubon
John James Audubon was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictorial record of all the bird species of North America. Wiki
Pied oyster-catcher from Birds of America (1827) by John James Audubon, etched by William Home Lizars. Original from University of Pittsburg.
Fulmar Petrel from Birds of America (1827) by John James Audubon, etched by William Home Lizars. Original from University of Pittsburg.
Snow Goose from Birds of America (1827) by John James Audubon, etched by William Home Lizars. Original from University of Pittsburg.
Questions to Ask Children
Describe what you see.
Look at the artwork as a whole – which words would you use to describe the whole piece?
Tell me about the details you like.
What materials has the artist used?
What do you think the artist is trying to say with this artwork?
Can you describe the nature/personality of the bird? Why do you think that? How has the artist made you think that?
Pejac
Camouflage by Pejac. Silvestre Santiago, better known as Pejac, is a Spanish painter and street artist. He was born in 1977 in Santander, Cantabria, Spain. He studied Fine Arts in Salamanca and then Barcelona. In 2001, Santiago continued his studies in Italy at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Milano. Today the artist lives in Santander.
Inspired by the work of Belgium Surrealist Rene Magritte, Pejac plays with the idea of negative space in this installation piece. Explore images of the piece via the Colossal article
Questions to Ask Children
What do you see?
What has the artist done in this piece?
How does this piece of art make you feel?
What do you think the artist is trying to say?
Dusciana Bravura
Dusciana Bravura is an Italian Sculptor and Interior Designer.
Dusciana makes beautiful birds out of beads. Explore her website to see more of her work.
Questions to Ask Children
What words would you use to describe these sculptures?
Can you imagine how Dusciana makes her work?
How do they make you feel?
What do you think the artist is trying to say?
This Talking Points Is Used In...
using sketchbooks to make visual notes
Show me what you see
