Daniel Oberti
3796 Twig Avenue
Sebastopol, CA 95472
(707) 829-0584
fax: (707) 829-2136
daniel@danieloberti.com

Alchemy | Fountains | Kitchen and bath

Dionysian fountain
From idea to installation

The Idea
My client was a wine connoisseur who was building a large Mediterranean style home overlooking the Napa Valley here in California.

His interest and profession was within the wine industry so his theme idea was Baccus the Roman god of wine. I reflected upon the idea and chose Dionysos, the Greek god of Ecstasy, whom I felt would be a more refined choice. When researching a project I like to delve into the source of an idea or concept and present the best idea with connection to my clients expressed interests. For more about this, see my Artist's Statement.

Next I develop sketches and drawings which convey the idea and outline the layout. My client approved and I soon began building easels to begin the work.

Green Work
Plywood easels are constructed for each project which after being covered with an even layer of clay are hoisted to a near vertical position for modeling.

Repetitive patterns are molded from original designs while the main characters are hand carved individually. The animals and bas relief figures were modeled after numerous sketches and study of live models were completed.

Assembly and Staining
Once the wet work is completed the easels are lowered down and the piece is cut into manageable sizes in preparation for firing. After bisque firing, the work is stained with a mixture of iron oxide and mason stains, wiped to reveal the clay body, then fired to maturity.

Installation

Finished Work
The cat is The Panther of India, shown with the musical harvesting of grapes. The other is The Ram of Life, shown with Pan and the dancing Maenads. The dolphins are errant sailors whom Dionysos transformed into dolphins after they tried unsuccessfully to abduct him. For those interested in the Myth of Dionysos, we've created a page with the full myth for your enjoyment.



Copyright © 2000-4 by Daniel Oberti. All rights reserved.