Final Project - Semester 1
- Plan
For my ceramics final, I planned to create a small hand-built bowl inspired by "Tiger in a Tropical Storm" by Henri Rousseau. My idea was to use the jungle scenery and patterns from the painting as decoration on the outside of the bowl. The bowl shape was simple so the painted decoration could stand out. My goal was to connect a simple bowl with the natural feeling of Rousseau’s jungle.
- Reflection
Overall, I’m happy with how my bowl turned out. I was able to bring in elements from Rousseau’s painting without making the design too complicated. One challenge was keeping the details clean while the clay was drying, but I learned to work more slowly and patiently. This project helped me think about how artwork can be inspired by something famous but still become something original in a different medium
- Research
Henri Rousseau (1844–1910) was a French painter known for his imaginative jungle scenes, even though he never actually visited a real jungle. He was mostly self-taught, and his style is often described as primitive because his paintings look simple at first, but they’re full of emotion, detail, and storytelling. Tiger in a Tropical Storm is one of his most famous works. It shows a tiger crouching in the middle of a windy, colorful jungle.
I was drawn to Rousseau’s work because I like nature and wildlife, and his art feels dramatic without being too complicated to interpret. The bright leaves, shapes and patterns made his style a good match for a ceramic design. I was interested in creating a 3D artwork based on his scenery.
