Reclamation Project by Leah Maxwell

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Reclamation Project explores second chances. Using abandoned paintings, both my own and those left behind by others, I cut, reshape, and rebuild each surface. I paint over what came before and scrape the paint back again, allowing glimpses of earlier marks to remain visible. Damage, history, and change become part of the work rather than something to erase.

These paintings hold fragments of the past while reaching toward renewal. Through disassembly, reassembly, layering, and removal, what was once overlooked is given new life.

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At its core, this work is a return to making and a belief that nothing is ever truly finished or without worth.

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Leah Maxwell is a visual artist based on Cape Cod, MA, working primarily in oil paint. Her abstract, non-representational work is inspired by visual moments that spark a memory or evoke an emotional response. Painting intuitively, Leah builds her compositions through layers of color, texture, and gesture. She often combines soft, blended areas with sharp lines and geometric forms, creating a visual rhythm that feels both spontaneous and intentional.

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Leah holds a BFA in studio practice and a BA in art history, and her work reflects both her formal training and her deep personal connection to the creative process. She hopes her paintings stir something in the viewer—a feeling, a memory, or something long forgotten.

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Her work has recently been exhibited at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, Highfield Hall, and the

Falmouth Art Center.