"Shelf Mushrooms"

The soft underside of these fruiting fungi when dry create a beautiful natural canvas for me to burn on, and they sit nicely on top of a shelf with no stands needed.

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I spend my summer scouting these mushrooms out around Rossland and the Kootenay's, hunting them down to dry around the house as future canvases. They are usually found on downed tree's that have started to decompose, and can be fairly hard to spot unless you are looking for them- which I always am. 

Collecting these fruiting bodies does no harm to the organism or it's vast networks of underground mycelium, and I am always mindful to harvest sustainably. Although it is to be noted that these grow in abundance, and I am no threat to their species, especially in comparison to deforestation from mining and logging. 

I've played around with leaving a few to grow to a bigger size for a year or two, but unfortunately the beetles did not allow me to use them and instead ate them in their entirety, so now I am sure to collect them incase they aren't there again the next time.

What do I do about those little stowaways you ask?

I heat the conks to an unliveable temperature to vacate any critters. Mushrooms are completely dry and will not shrink in size. 

I am unable to say how long these pieces last in general as I have not kept a mushroom in my house for over 10 years- but I am willing to bet they would last a few decades if kept in moisture free areas-same as wood.

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These are incredibly unique pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind; as the mushrooms themselves are incredibly unique in how they grow. This may be one of the only places you can find this unique style of art, especially in this caliber of finesse and detailing.

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