ZEUS - DAVID J. MARKS

Master woodworker David J. Marks discusses the "Award Winning " creation of Zeus. From the 36th Annual Artistry in Wood show at the Museum of Sonoma County. Recorded for Sonoma County Sessions, May 2026. Thank you for supporting an independent artist. I invite you to share my work with your friends, family, social media, etc., and in so doing, radiating my work into the stratosphere! Like, subscribe, comment and share… your support is greatly appreciated! https://jerivera.com/ https://djmarks.com/ "This piece measures 28 inches in diameter x 2 inches deep. The materials are : Quilted Mahogany aka "The Tree", wenge,holly,pernambuco,quilted bubinga sapwood,curly koa,yellowheart,ebony,tagua nut,pernambuco burl,mother of pearl shell,betel nut,black lipped mother of pearl shell,reconstituted stone (2 different colors),end grain black palm,end grain red palm,rippled green abalone shell,faux lapis lazuli,beeswing ceylon satinwood,snakewood,brass rods,and copper rods. Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas" novel had always fascinated me and I wanted to create an image that felt like you were standing on his submarine called The Nautilus looking out of one of the portals. In 2007, I was invited to an artists collaboration in New Zealand and while I was there,I purchased a poster of a painting of a John Dory fish which is also known as a Zeus Faber. The fish live in New Zealand's coastal waters and have approximately 9 extended spines on their fins. They are also well known for their large dark spot on their sides which has a light ring around it. I decided to create a Marquetry image for the exhibition that combined the Zeus Faber fish and some kelp beds being viewed from a portal on the Nautilus.To my eye, the Quilted Mahogany background represents the ripples in the deep dark ocean." - David J. Marks