52 Forms of Fungi || #31

I've always loved looking at photos of this type of fungi - the brightness of the colors and stacked/fanned out growth habit are very beautiful.  Sulfur shelf, or chicken of the woods mushroom, grows on living or dead trees, often on the main trunk.  Its presence on a living tree indicates extensive decay and increased potential for tree failure.

This is another piece which Berroco so kindly provided yarn for me to create.  Made with Ultra Alpaca, the color ways shown are Masa and Grove Mix.  I still have a few more phases left involving the lovely Berroco yarns!

This structure was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project. Check out more of the forms from this project.

Tangled Up

J and I went hiking the other day in an area that was totally overtaken in some parts by wild grape vines.  He spotted this snake skin tangled up in some of the vines - some little dude decided that was a good spot to shed his skin.  The ants seemed to think so too.  I love the texture of it.

If you're in the US I hope you're having a wonderful Fourth of July holiday.  My initiative for the weekend - find an ice cream maker (if everyone else didn't have the same idea and buy them all up) and make use of those blackberries and strawberries ripening in my garden.  Cheers!

Mistletoe

A little inspiration for the day - I came across this tree colonized with mistletoe a while back.  Such an intriguing symbiosis.

Ample Moisture

Oklahoma saw a late spring this year, and just in the last couple of weeks have we started receiving some of those "April showers" that supposedly bring on the "May flowers" and henceforth.  I planted my garden weeks ago and have relied on my trusty garden hose to keep it watered, but for several days we saw some continuous rain amounting to a few inches in the end.

I've seen some inky cap mushrooms pop up here and there since my entire garden is covered in a nice thick layer of wood chip mulch, but as the rains kept going they really seemed to find their happy place.  One morning I came outside to witness this - an entire area of the garden covered in these little shrooms.  It's odd how quickly they change.  I took these photos about 30 minutes to an hour after I first spotted them.  Initially, they still looked fresh and the caps were not curling upward yet.  By photo time they had started to deteriorate some and A noticeable change in color was apparent.  I came out an hour later and they had disintegrated into a mere memory.  Had I not seen them earlier I would not have known of their presence, save for a close observation of tiny black fibers across the mulch.

I love the textures in this top photo - this is one of my favorite attributes of fungi: the textures.  So intricate, despite how small they are.

And now it's raining again...

Succession / 52 Forms of Fungi || #29

I love polypores.  Mushrooms are cute, but there's just something fascinating to me about finding a tree with a ladder of conks growing up the trunk.  They pose a challenge to knit, mostly due to the shape and attachment element, but the colors are especially pleasing to the eye when I get to work on them.  Knit Picks Palette really has become a favorite yarn of mine, simply because of the fact that with 150 shades to choose from it's pretty easy to create that fade from light to dark when necessary.  I have a giant basket full of probably about 1/3 of the colors they offer - HA!

Anyway, what we have here is resinous polypore, created as part of my Succession installation for START Norman (on display for another week!).  The fruiting structures of this species are rather fleshy - I've seen them on trees before and remember the sponginess when poked.  They typically grow on very rotted wood - fallen logs, dead wood, old stumps, etc.

Lichen Inspiration

Lichen is becoming more and more of an intrigue for me.  I've always observed it, although not necessarily all that closely and I never really knew much about it.  The more I learn, the more I want to know about these tiny symbiotic organisms formed by the coming together of a fungi, cyanobacteria and  algae.  The closer you look at them and the more you learn about their habits, the more amazing they become!  The delicately intricate medulla, and teeny apothecia.  The fact that they are used as indicators of air quality.  I find myself consistently inspecting lichen when I spot it, and feeling inspired to explore it with future work.  The collaboration that I worked on with Sarah Hearn was just a taste, and it definitely left me craving more.  One of my favorite parts about my artistic process is the amount of information that I learn about each organism that I make.  While I'm no expert, I know so much more about mycology than I did before I started replicating it with fiber.  I'm looking forward to researching and experiencing the same with lichenology in the future!

Here are some specimens observed at Martin Park Nature Center when I was out there scoping out installation spots for Niche.  On a side note, the collaboration that I mentioned above is still on exhibit at START Norman in the Old Lumber Yard on Main St until May 10th, in addition to Succession.

Niche, From a Distance

As promised, here are some photos of the outdoor installations for Niche, from a distance.  I took down the exhibit yesterday, and it was interesting to see how the pieces had changed after being out in the rain and sun for a month.  I am told that the realism of the installations had some people going for a minute, but I'm glad that they got people observing the environment of the park and hope that they continue to do so in their daily lives.  I would like to give a big Thank You! to the staff at Martin Park Nature Center for being so accommodating and awesome throughout the duration of the exhibit, and thank you to everyone who went by and checked it out!

First up… burnt orange bolete.  This was probably the most conspicuous installation, set underneath a giant bur oak tree on Trail B.  Every installation is fun, but placing multiple large mushrooms in a forest tends to make me a little giddy.  By the way, if you fall in love with these and would like to have one of your own, I have some available in my Etsy shop!

False turkey tail.  Probably the most difficult to find, because it sat down off the trail a few yards, and to be honest I think some plant life started to obscure it a small amount toward the end.  But part of the fun is finding it, right?  So easy to overlook, but vibrant once you see it.  This was located on the west side of Trail loop A.

Stalked scarlet cup.  Directly next to a bend in the trail (on Trail C), some people stopped and told me they thought they were tiny red flowers at first, while I was taking the photos of them.  Installing these reminded me of Decomposition: Colony I & Decomposition: Colony II, because they were so small and numerous.  Nostalgia for the beginning of my installation work; so much has happened since then!

Niche / 52 Forms of Fungi || #27

Burnt orange bolete is the final species that inspired an installation for Niche at Martin Park Nature Center.  I can't believe the exhibit has almost been up for a month!  I will be a little sad to take it down this weekend, but early next week I'll share some photos of the full installations for those of you who don't live near Oklahoma City or weren't able to make it out there.

In honor of the closing of my exhibit, I've also made a few additional burnt orange boletes which are now posted in my Etsy shop!  A little piece of Niche for your very own home… Check out the listing here.

As a forester and arborist I'm relatively familiar with the nature of the relationship between mycorrhizae and tree roots.  I've heard/read all about how they benefit one another and how that symbiosis works, but there is little pointed out in my arboriculture resources about the fruiting bodies of the mycorrhizal fungi… It's been fun learning more details about some of these species and "putting a face to the name" in terms of different species of fungi that benefit trees by increasing root surface area, thus aiding in the absorption of water and minerals.  Nature is just too cool, you guys.

See more creations from Niche.

Check out the rest of the 52 Forms of Fungi series.

Niche / 52 Forms of Fungi || #26

It seems there's so much variation in turkey tail and false turkey tail; any differentiation between them would not be made apparent by my knitting in this instance.  From what I've read, the main difference between the two species is that turkey tail has a pore surface on its underside, while false turkey tail is smooth.  According to Mushroom Expert, it's actually a crust fungus rather than a polypore.  Yarn isn't so crusty, but you get the idea.  I'm calling these false turkey tail because that was the species of the images I modeled these after, and because I've already made a version of turkey tail.  It's interesting to me how algae can contribute to their coloring by producing a green hue on the brackets.  It makes for some nice fiber contrast!  This is another species that inspired an outdoor installation at Martin Park Nature Center for Niche.

I also wanted to announce - I have added a lot of new products to my Society 6 shop, so if you like my work but aren't interested in having an art print, there are other ways you can have it in your life! New products include tote bags, iPhone cases, wall clocks, greeting cards, throw pillows, laptop skins, shirts, etc.  Just click on the image you would like to purchase products for and scroll down to see what's available… or use the item menu on the left hand side of the shop page to see what images are available in those items.  I hope this makes my art more accessible for more people!  Thanks for checking it out.

See more creations from Niche.

Check out the rest of the 52 Forms of Fungi series.

Niche / 52 Forms of Fungi || #25

Stalked scarlet cup is the first of the three outdoor installations included in Niche at Martin Park Nature Center.  Given that this is a 52 Forms of Fungi post, I will just show you some close-ups, and will post full scale photos showing the entire view of all three outdoor installations later on.  This one is located along Trail C in the park, which is the one furthest south across the bridge to the creek.  This species of fungi is pretty tiny, and quite remarkable to see.  I've only come across it once, but was mesmerized by the tiny red cup (which was actually much smaller than the ones that I created here).

See more creations from Niche.

Check out the rest of the 52 Forms of Fungi series.

Niche / 52 Forms of Fungi || #24

I really love the shaping the forms of knitted boletes.  Perhaps it's the two-toned coloring that contributes to this, but they are just plump and cute and are fun to look at in a big pile of leaves.  More on that later.  This is violet-gray bolete, which I made for the indoor installation of Niche at Martin Park Nature Center.

Violet-gray bolete is mycorrhizal, which means that it exists in a symbiotic relationship with a nearby tree root system, usually oak or some other hardwood.  The fungus' mycelia assist the tree with absorption of water and minerals, while the tree provides nutrition for the fungus.  These mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of the mycorrhizae which help it to reproduce.

Find out more about Niche, on exhibit at Martin Park Nature Center

View more from the 52 Forms of Fungi series.

Behind the Scenes of Niche

In case you haven't seen via social media, Niche is installed and ready for YOU to observe, starting today!  If you're in the Oklahoma City area, I encourage you to visit Martin Park Nature Center and go for a hike on their beautiful trails.  It's really stunning out there right now, as everything seems to be waking up from dormancy.

This past weekend, I placed three installations throughout the three main trail loops-- A, B, and C.  In addition, there's a small enclosed installation inside of the Nature Center building.  The installations are easy to spot if you're looking for them, but at the same time they are easy to miss if you're not!  Beyond my work, there is so much worth paying attention to in this park, from lichen covering the metal beams of the bridge, to tiny coralberries that made it through the winter, not to mention the breathtakingly vast, spreading bur oak trees.  I encourage you to make your visit with open eyes, and just take in all that nature has to offer.

Jennifer McClintock, with the City of Oklahoma City Parks Department, was kind enough to send me some photos that she took while I was installing the other day, so I thought I would share a few as a bit of a "sneak peek".  I do plan to share my own photos of the finished full scale installations, but not before I give you a little nitty gritty on the species that inspired each form created.  One great thing about this project is that I've been able to knock out several new fungi for the 52 Forms of Fungi project.  I figured I would introduce the different installations to you by going through the series, and then show images of the finished installations later.  So you know, if you want to see the whole thing… bounce on over to Martin Park Nature Center and get in a little peaceful outdoors time.  They will be installed as part of EarthFest for the entire month of April!

52 Forms of Fungi || #22

Clavaria zollingeri.  Dazzling, bright, ascending wisps of coral fungi incredulousness.  I've wanted to knit this species since I first laid eyes on a photo.  Its otherworldliness appealed to my senses and imagination. (which I suppose is a sense, isn't it?)  You know how sometimes you see something and think how it can't possibly be real?  Moments like these are what fuel my thirst for observation and inspire me to ponder the depth of what we are surrounded by.  I could never fathom it.  How sweet it is to coexist with such magnificent creatures!

Clearly, since this fungi grows in eastern North America, I will be obliged to at some point visit that area in the fall to look for some.  Even if I never find it, I am at least happy to know that it's just out there being amazing.  As fungi does.

As with the Lactarius indigo, I would like to thank Berroco for providing me with the yarn for this fungi!!  It is made with Ultra Alpaca Light in Viola.  Oh, stitch definition...  Vibrant color scheme...  Soft and cozy...  I'll never get enough of Ultra Alpaca!  Good thing I've got a few more species to go with the generous support Berroco has provided to my project.  Thanks, guys!

I also want to put this out there - if there's a fungi out there that you LOVE and would like to see it in knitted form, please share a photo (with scientific name, if you know it) on my Facebook page!  Even though the project has extended into a 2nd year, I am committed to finishing all 52 forms... suggestions are welcome!

This structure was knitted as part of my 52 Forms of Fungi project. Check out more of the forms from this project.

Lichen

I can't help but be blown away when observing the different types of lichen I see on our hiking excursions.  Such intriguing organisms!  My friend Sarah Hearn makes some incredible artwork focusing on lichen.  Check it out!

Autumn Fungi in the Wichitas

Autumn in the Wichitas

Greenbriar fruits..

There was so much color contrast in the plant life right now.

Found some Caddo maple regenerating from the fire!

Wild poke weed!

Charon's Garden

Just some photos from a recent (pre-government shutdown) excursion to the Wichita Wildlife Refuge.

Saprobia || Juglans Nigra

This is a preview of the black walnut phase of my Momentum Tulsa installation, entitled "Saprobia".  You can read more about Saprobia here and here.

Momentum Tulsa opens on October 12th at Living Arts in Downtown Tulsa.  These forms will be incorporated into a larger installation for the exhibit.

Materials: yarn dyed with ground black walnut hulls, walnuts

Saprobia || Taxodium Distichum

This is a preview of the baldcypress phase of my Momentum Tulsa installation, entitled "Saprobia".  You can read more about Saprobia here and here.

Momentum Tulsa opens on October 12th at Living Arts in Downtown Tulsa.  These forms will be incorporated into a larger installation for the exhibit.

Materials: yarn dyed with baldcypress leaves, baldcypress bark, decaying wood

Saprobia || Juniperus Virginiana

This is a preview of the eastern red cedar phase of my Momentum Tulsa installation, entitled "Saprobia".  You can read more about Saprobia here and here.

Momentum Tulsa opens on October 12th at Living Arts in Downtown Tulsa.  These forms will be incorporated into a larger installation for the exhibit.

Materials: yarn dyed with eastern red cedar heartwood, eastern red cedar needles and bark