This Mayan Thunderbird fountain was created for a private patron in Rancho Mirage, California in 1981. I created the design based on ancient Mayan motifs. I created a full size drawing to check for scale on the site in Rancho Mirage. Next, I created all of the full size fountain parts to also check on site for accuracy. The parts were all molded in plaster, and cast all at once in a large run of tinted cement with added aggregate. Each fountain part has rebar and wire mesh embedded inside, with washers welded to the rebar to reinforce anchor bolts.  All the molds were pre-coated with cement retardant, so when the pieces were all removed from the molds, the aggregate could be exposed with a pressure sprayer. The cinder block fireplace base form was covered with cement tiles. The fountain parts were all stacked up from the ground supporting each others' weight. Each piece is mortared to the wall and also anchor bolted to the wall for added safety and durability.