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M A I N E
W i l d l i f e A r t i s t
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M A I N E
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THE MUSHROOMS
Nature's Perfect Canvas
I have painted on a variety of different mushrooms,
or shelf fungi, but my favorite is commonly called, "Artists
Conk", Latin name, ganoderma applanatum. I am no
biologist, but have done some research, and observed a great
number of these mushrooms in various stages of growth. This polypore
is called artist's conk, due to the smooth white, easily-scratched
underside surface. I have been told that Native Americans used
them as canvases for their art.
A mammoth dead maple tree I discovered
on a Maine mountaintop, near the Appalachian Trail, had one huge
mushroom at the bottom, and a smaller one about halfway up on
the right side.
The challenge in summer, when the spores are
active, is to get them home without accidental scratches! Taking
only photos, I left these for another day, since they were so
big, I was so far into the woods, and it was still early in the
day.
A Perennial Mushroom - Will last forever...
And the backsides (left) are beautiful as well!
Most people think of mushrooms as the soft
kind that have stems and caps, that grow and die within a period
of days (the kind you eat) The ones I use are a shelf type, and
are perennial, meaning they don't die off each year. New spore
layers develop at the outer edge each year and harden. The mushroom
will grow and grow, as long as the dying tree has the right balance
of nutrients and moisture. The bigger the tree, the longer it
takes to die, and the bigger the mushroom on it will become.
The annual layers may be counted on the mushroom's top sides,
much like tree rings, to determine its age. As you can see, some
of the larger ones are quite old!
After removing a mushroom in its "prime",
I dry it, seal it and carefully choose the "right"
design to paint or draw (using a burning tool) on. Sometimes
I will study an unusual mushroom for months before I decide what
to do with it. The mushrooms will last virtually forever if kept
dry. One man told me he found one that had been in his grandmother's
barn for over 100 years!
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Nature's Perfect CanvasI have painted on a variety of different mushrooms, or shelf fungi, but my favorite is commonly called, "Artists Conk", Latin name, ganoderma applanatum. I am no biologist, but have done some research, and observed a great number of these mushrooms in various stages of growth. This polypore is called artist's conk, due to the smooth white, easily-scratched underside surface. I have been told that Native Americans used them as canvases for their art. |
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A mammoth dead maple tree I discovered on a Maine mountaintop, near the Appalachian Trail, had one huge mushroom at the bottom, and a smaller one about halfway up on the right side.The challenge in summer, when the spores are active, is to get them home without accidental scratches! Taking only photos, I left these for another day, since they were so big, I was so far into the woods, and it was still early in the day. |
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A Perennial Mushroom - Will last forever...
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BRENDA MOORE STICKNEY ANDOVER, MAINE
e-mail:
brenda@brendamoorestickney.com
207-357-7004
e-mail: brenda@brendamoorestickney.com
207-357-7004