A couple of days ago, under my post on the red mushroom, readers commented on painting on mushrooms. The red mushroom pictured could certainly be painted on its flat side, but it's on the small side so is not the traditional artist's mushroom. I remembered seeing some of what are called "Artist's Conks" in the woods, so took along my camera on my walk yesterday. Growing on dead wood, they can get quite large, up to 20 inches; this one is eight inches across. The underside is beautifully white, calling for an artist's touch. You can make a line drawing on the surface: when you etch it with a sharp point, the white bruises to a warm brown color, which will remain when the mushroom is fully dried. Or, the mushroom provides a shaped and curving ground for painting, as in the landscape pictured below, which I acquired years ago from an antique shop in Maine. There's something very appealing about a painting on a non-traditional surface, be it mushroom or rock, sawblade or metal tray.
Yes, I mostly have painted on these, though not being familiar with the term 'artist's conk'. That's a great image in itself: Rube Goldberg conking someone with a dashing beret on the head!
ReplyDeleteThey have their share of pitfalls though. They can crack if mishandled and burrowing insects find them delicious. I once put two of my best creations in an empty five gallon tub of joint compound infused with insecticide, thinking a week in the shed would eliminate the unwanted inhabitants. Unfortunately that was the week of the flood of '96 and the tub and its valued contents floated off downstream into the lucky hands of whomever their discoverer was. Ah, the lost art of lost art.
Thanks for such a funny comment, Kim. I won't be able to get the image of a beret-clad artiste being whacked on the head. And the sadly amusing thought of the tub of art mushrooms floating away. I wonder if it's too cold up here for the insects that plagued you to bother us, because I've never had a problem with them.
ReplyDeleteIn the northwest US and Alaska, this fungus is often referred to as bear's bread and artists have long used it as a palette, either scribing on it or painting on it. Popped over from the gardening blog, great site!
ReplyDeleteBear's bread! great name; are they a bear delicacy? We have black bear around here: I've seen scat in the woods, and lots of bark scarred by bear claws. I've even seen scat in the small orchard behind my house.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the blog; come back and visit often.
Altoon, you get my award again, but the best blog posts....fun to think of mushrooms being palettes and paintings....i like your cabin in the field and sky.
ReplyDeletethanks, Maggie!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in junior high I found one of these in the woods behind my house, brought it home and put a painting on it. I thought I was being very original, but it's interesting to hear that others do it too!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what happened to mine.