Norval Morrisseau, who created Woodland art style, featured in Google doodle - Action News
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Indigenous

Norval Morrisseau, who created Woodland art style, featured in Google doodle

Ojibway artist Norval Morrisseau is being honoured on June 21 with a Google doodle, created by Blake Angeconeb and Danielle Morrison.

Blake Angeconeb andDanielle Morrison of Winnipeg are artists behind June 21 image

The Google doodle of Norval Morrisseau will be featured on Google Canada's landing page on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day. (Blake Angeconeb/Danielle Morrison/Google Canada)

A Winnipeg couple has worked with the world's biggest search engine to honour one of the world's most influential artists Norval Morrisseau.

Google doodles are thechanges that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries and the lives of famous artists, pioneers and scientists.

Blake Angeconeb andDanielle Morrison collaborated on creating a doodle for Google Canada to celebrateMorrisseau on National Indigenous Peoples Day,June 21.

Morrisseau, also known as Copper Thunderbird, was a renowned painter from Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabekinnorthwestern Ontario. He became popular in the 1960s for his Woodland style, usingbold brush strokes and plenty of colour.

Angeconeb, from Lac Seul First Nation in northwestern Ontario, is an established artist himself, with a large online presence. He uses Woodlandstyle andincorporatespop culture into his works.

"Norval's work was the first artwork that really truly drew me into art," said Angeconeb.

"There was no other artist or artwork before him that I looked at that really resonated or had an impact on me."

Danielle Morrison and Blake Angeconeb with their three-month-old son. (Gary Solilak/CBC)

Morrison, fromAnishinaabeg of Naongashiingin northwestern Ontario, is a graphic designer, lawyer and entrepreneur.

"[There are] deep tones, a lot of florals, references to life and nature,"Morrison said.

"And you're going to see a little bit of Norval in the actual doodle because we really wanted to honour him as an individual."

Morrison said what is unknown by a lot of folks is that Morrisseau was bisexual.

"A lot of his values were based in seeing beyond sexuality, gender, race, religion, and that life was all about interconnectedness," she said.

"I think that's a really important message that people around the world can really use ... today."

A close-up of a multi-coloured painting.
This work by Norval Morrisseau is titled Androgyny. (Estate of Norval Morrisseau)

Lisa Morrisseau, Norval Morrisseau'sdaughter, said when she heard Google was interested in making a doodle, "I thought that sounds wonderful. I'm glad it's happening.

"He has a couple of grandsons that are starting to paint. They love looking up videos about him. They read books, look up pictures on the internet."

Winnipeg couple's artwork featured on today's Google doodle, honours Ojibwe artist Norval Morrisseau

2 years ago
Duration 2:05
Blake Angeconeb and Danielle Morrison collaborated on creating a doodle for Google Canada to celebrate Morrisseau on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21.