David M Bowman

phone : 510.845.1072
email : david@davidmbowman.com
website : davidmbowman.com
locale : 1960 Mandela Parkway bay 5. Oakland CA 94607

patinaed brass metalwork –

David M Bowman Studio consists of two people: David Mills Bowman and his son, Reed Christopher Bowman.

We produce most pieces together. David is the principal designer, though Reed often has input on wallpiece designs, and does most of the work to execute the wallpieces. Reed’s own designs are indicated by his initials, RCB, in the name or number of the piece.

We construct all pieces by hand, with hand tools and simple machines. No part of the production is ever hired out, nor does the studio take in work to produce or patina parts for other people’s designs. Wallpieces are one of a kind.

All the work is produced from brass sheet and rod, formed into shape with shears, hammers, sanders and grinders, and brazed together using an oxyacetylene welding torch. We do not cast work or use cast parts. We mix patina chemicals from scratch and apply them by hand.

David began working in metal in 1971, near the time Reed was born; he first made silver jewelry, later moved on to brass belt buckles, then to larger pieces in patinaed brass. Over the years David has worked alone or with different assistants, but he has worked exclusively with Reed since the mid-1990s.