Fungus Among Us
This autumn in my neck of the woods the weather has been very damp, providing ideal growing conditions for mushrooms and fungi. Until recently I had only a superficial appreciation about them; however, as with most things, the more one focuses on it, the more one’s interest or awareness of it grows.
All year I’ve been creating a small collection of new paintings, the “Fungus Among Us” series – all pieces are uniquely framed in oval or round frames. Working on these small pieces on Fridays (Fun Friday Fungi) as time permitted between commissions was both a little treat to me, and a way to work on something of my own choosing. I’ve admired round art for a while and had been collecting frames to use “one day” and found this series to be the perfect opportunity to dig into my collection of both frames and reference photos.
My recent series can be seen in my Fungi Gallery and will be auctioned off later this month.
My fledgling interest in “mycology” (defined by Wikipedia as “the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, traditional medicine, food, as well as their dangers, such as toxicity or infection”) is developing! I know for sure one thing: I know almost nothing about the huge kingdom of fungi. I watched a documentary on Netflix called “Fantastic Fungi” and was enthralled by the way these organisms grow and spread.
I should note that I have no interest in “magic mushrooms” and their hallucinogenic properties. Nor am I interested in foraging for edible specimens to prepare for dinner (though I can appreciate the thrill of the hunt!). That said their medicinal properties are incredible. The deadly nature of others is sobering. I’ve read of two instances in my area of poor dogs succumbing after snacking on innocent looking but lethal Death Cap mushrooms.
Death Cap Mushrooms (Amanita phalloides) often found in urban areas
I don’t know what percentage of fungi are poisonous, (to be honest, I don’t even know if fungi is pronounced with a soft G as in “guy” or a hard one like as in “gem”), but the diversity of these things is mind-blowing. There are ones that drip out an ink (that can be used in a quill pen) as they decompose. There are bioluminescent ones that glow in the dark. There are ones that puff out their spores like little volcanoes. There are gooey, slimy ones; stick-like ones; ruffled ones; ones that look hairy; ones that look like hundreds of teeth are hanging from their caps; and ones that “bleed” various colours of blood. They vary in size, colour, texture, shape and really every conceivable facet. What absolute treasures of the forest!
Needless to say, my poor pooch now has to bear with me on walks as I crouch down, or huddle in the bushes trying to get the right angle to photograph a specimen. Indeed, I’ve learned it’s actually quite challenging to get a good quality reference photo of something so low to the ground and often found in dim lighting.
Whether mushrooms are your cup of tea or not, they serve an excellent reminder that there is unique, multi-faceted beauty littered in absolute profusion throughout nature! The great outdoors is there to be enjoyed, respected, and appreciated by all who would take the time to do so. Take a moment to have a look and revel in the splendor of creation!
Happy Autumn!
