Mushrooms!

I have been meaning to make more mushrooms out of clay, for terrariums or potted plants.  They are a little bit more time consuming, because I paint them by hand to get different effects.  I use a white or terra cotta clay and then prime, paint, and glaze.  I enjoy the red and white mushrooms myself, and it seems that lots of other people enjoy them as well.  I'm going to focus on a series with red and white for a while.

See?  They are fun!

I do enjoy real mushrooms and fungus too.  I try to base any mushroom designs off of real life, but my creations are certainly more stylized. I enjoy taking pictures, whether it's with a crappy cell phone camera, or with a slightly less crappy Sony Cybershot.  Here's a mushroom I found at a client's house two years ago.

"Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom."--Thomas Carlyle

Procrastination and Surprises

I have been doing everything in my power over the last few days, to not complete the tasks I need to for work and crafting.  Yesterday and today I killed some time by tending my garden plants in their tiny, overcrowded beds there over to the right.  (Poor planning for a first time vegetable grower.)

                                        

Yesterday, I was pleased to notice a present (of sorts) for me in the lawn.  I knew what it was from my research on mushrooms for crafting purposes, and I also knew that if my nose wasn't perpetually clogged, I should have been able to smell it from a mile away.  The legendary "stinkhorn" mushroom.  This is a real thing...and it looks like someone has been playing "hide the sausage" in a naughty place.   

(THESE ARE NOT MY PHOTOS:  I FOUND THEM ON THE GOOGLES)  Sadly, I did not have time to snap a photo myself, and when I came back today, it was gone.  I never thought I would get to experience a stinkhorn first hand, but the universe never fails to surprise me.  Next time I see one, I'll be sure to breathe through my mouth and take a picture.