Shelf Mushroom- Wild Tigerlily
Original Artwork hand burned on a dried 'polypore mushroom'
Polypore mushrooms:
You may know them as "shelf mushrooms", "bracket fungus", "Artist Conks" or another common name.
These are naturally growing fungal bodies that are found on dead and decomposing trees. There are a few different species used, and they are all naturally and sustainably harvested by hand- by Jaydlyn- from her surrounding Kootenay area. Collecting these fruiting bodies does no harm to the organism or it's mycelium- that of which is actually a decomposer: so it will be actively breaking down any tree's it's found on.
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.
These are incredibly unique pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind; as the mushrooms themselves are incredibly unique in nature, as this is not a common art practice.
The Deets: This is my absolute favourite wildflower. I'm aware as I'm writing these descriptions that I've used the phrase "my absolute favourite" many times now. But it's accurate for all of them; I love all these plants and animals so much, they are all so special and significant- they are what feeds my inspiration to make this art in the first place, my drive behind what I do.
Tigerlily's appear in spring, they pop up right in the thick of the forest, like little orange headlights. They are so delicate looking, they have a grace to them that makes you feel guilty if you accidently damage one- with good reason as it takes these three to five years to mature to the point of flowering. You don't see these being harvested for bouquets amoung the locals- some plants are best left out in nature where they flourish and that's pretty well respected.
The mushroom used as a canvas is A "Red-belted conk" or 'Fomitopsis mounceae'.
These polypore mushrooms actually have a little natural border along the outer edge, I leave it the natural colour- which can range from white to brown , and it's usually about half a cm or less thick with a different texture than the inner fleshy parts: firmer and more pronounced. I try to leave these borders natural, as I think it adds to the uniqueness of how that mushroom in particular decided to grow. So the inconsistency you see in the border is actually the mushrooms natural border.
This piece comes with a bit of the tree bark where it was growing attached to the bottom.
- 2" x 2" across the image area
- 1.5" x 2" across the bottom base
- 2" tall
- Weight: 21g
- Naturally grown polypore mushroom
- *NOT* Affixed with hanging hardware or standing hardware- Sits on it's own base on a shelf.
- Certificate of authentication
Each piece is unique and a one of a kind original creation by Jaydlyn Joan.