Artist Paints Discarded Items To Blend in With the Landscape Where They Were Found

Paintings on Found Objects by Mariah Reading

“Lend a Hand,” acrylic on tail crew glove found in the park, 2020. Location: Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

Have you ever come across discarded objects on your otherwise scenic hike? Well, outdoor educator and part-time artist Mariah Reading has found a new purpose for those unwanted items. She uses her masterful painting skills to transform trash into stunning works of art that seamlessly blend into the landscape where it was found.

Originally from Bangor, Maine, Reading developed a passion for the environment at a young age. “Bangor is pretty centrally located in the state so I had access to different national parks, Appalachian trails, and was close to Canada,” she tells My Modern Met. “I grew up with the forests and rivers all around me.”

Reading noticed the connection between art and trash while taking a sculpture class her senior year at Bowdoin College. Inspired to cut down on her own materials, the artist began using found objects as canvases for her landscape paintings. She continued this after she graduated, collecting litter and discarded items from national parks across the United States.

“[My art] is all improvised,” she continues. “It's all based on what I found out there in the field. That's why this project continues to be fresh. I don't know what I'm going to come across which is what makes this project exciting.” Her series based in Acacia National Park, Maine (Wabanaki Confederacy Land), includes a repurposed Croc shoe, a styrofoam helmet, and a glove–all of which were abandoned in nature. “Debris items offer a portrait of the landscape,” Reading adds, as the objects provide some insight into how and why people are on that land.

You can purchase prints and originals of Reading's work via her website and keep up to date with her latest projects by following her on Instagram and Facebook.

Artist and outdoor educator Mariah Reading paints exquisite landscapes on found objects.

“Eagle Lake Helmet,” acrylic on found styrofoam helmet, 2020. Location: Eagle Lake, Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

Her ongoing series shows a portrait of contemporary landscapes through repurposed debris items.

“Crocs and Rocks,” acrylic on found Croc shoe, 2020. Location: Hunter’s Beach, Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“Bald Rock Beanie,” acrylic on found knit winter hat, 2020. Location: Bald Rock, Camden Hills State Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“PJ Pants on Pemetic,” acrylic on found flannel pajama pants, 2020. Location: Pemetic Northwest Trail in Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“Otter Cliffs Frisbee,” acrylic on cracked frisbee, 2019. Location: Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“Tread Lightly,” acrylic on discarded trail sign, 2020. Location: Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“Beaver Pond Tank,” acrylic on found stretched dry-fit tank, 2020. Location: Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“Big Box,” acrylic on cracked aquaculture float box, 2020. Location: Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“Pants on Fire,” acrylic on old jeans (sewn), 2020. Location: Echo Lake, Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

“Trash Human (Reflection),” acrylic on personal/art trash accumulated in quarantine (paint tubes, broken brushes, toothbrush, sandpaper, marine debris, razors, inhaler, etc.), 2020. Location: Acadia National Park, ME (Wabanaki Confederacy Land).

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