Brighten Your Day

Photos Of Boat Scum Lines That Look Like Beautiful Paintings

September 24, 2021

Someone snapped a photo of this boat after realizing the wear and scuff-marks look like an island in the sea.

It's hard to believe it's not an actual painting.

There is a photographer in Massachusetts whose main focus is exactly this: scum line art.

"I saw that this boat had this beautiful design and I took a closer look and when I did I realized it was barnacles and dirt and debris," said photographer Barry Beder of Falmouth, MA.

"Locals call it the scum line of the boat. It's the part of the boat that sits on the water and absorbs the chemicals and the compounds and the currents in the flow and it forms a pattern and a shape. And I noticed one day out of nowhere that this shape looks like beautiful art."

Credit: Barry Beder / hullscapes.org

That became Hullscapes -- close up photos of boat hull stains.

Credit: Barry Beder / hullscapes.org

Since the discovery of boat hull art, Barry's photography has been featured in art exhibits across Massachusetts.

You can view more of Barry's amazing work at Hullscapes.org.