Aided by a Material Needs grant, Stowell brought her work out of her comfort zone and into new territory. For the first time she was able to purchase a series of same-sized canvases to create a cohesive and intentional body of work. She also experimented with a projector to transfer the complex patterns of stretch marks onto each canvas. After painting the background color for each piece, she then utilized the projector to copy the stretch mark patterns. A series of colored glazes was applied on top, and finished with a final gloss coat. For Stowell, the time consuming process of applying glazes was well worth it.

In making this work, Stowell presents the markers of pregnancy and motherhood as signs of strength, rather than imperfections to be hidden or fixed. She was amazed by the openness of her models in sharing their personal stories, and wants other women to feel empowered by their own scars and stretch marks. She hopes viewers see the beauty in the abstracted colors and patterns of these paintings, both before and after realizing what the images depict. Stowell says, “Our postpartum bodies are not something to be ashamed of or feel insecure about, but rather a sign of strength for what we have done. These are our battle scars.”

Completed Works