David Michael Bowers was born 1956 in Chambersburg and graduated from art school in Pittsburgh, 1979.

The complexity of Bowers’ painting is reflected by his elaborate artistic process. The artist himself explains that he could spend ten hours a day over one tiny area of the canvas in pursuit of perfection. He concocts his own gesso from chalk, rabbit-skin glue and zinc to first prepare the surface. The next stage involves a preliminary drawing and then a mapping out of light and dark areas. Every painted layer after this has to be sanded smooth before the next layer can be applied, finishing in a fine coat of varnish to preserve luminosity.

Bowers studied the old masters for many years to develop this meticulous technique. His method may have its roots in history, but his paintings incorporate very modern themes and symbolism; he describes his own work as “realism with an edge.”

E-mail: info@hayhillgallery.com