There are many ways to learn the great works of art that have illuminated the minds and hearts of many generations; taking a course, reading art books, visiting museums. Their beauty and intrigue beckoned Bowden to study and meditate on their images and in turn inspired this series of work.

Each historical piece is carefully reproduced in silhouette form, painted on a feather deckled handmade paper. A layer of iridescent craypas is added to the painted area and thin sheets of 22-carat German gold leaf are then applied to the surface. Finally, the original image is suggestively drawn using pencil, stylus, etching points or anything that will incise the soft layers of gold.