22 March 2011

some overnight rains .. and mushrooms

Lovely soaking showers bought along some little surprises in the garden, like this...

and these in a tub, where I've some basil seedlings growing.

I'd hoped to also include here some mushroom prints from these, but they proved to be too moist I think, and with next to no colour showing in the gills, the print result was most dissapointing. Messy, looking like damp pollen.

I have done this in years gone by with good results, but not with these type fungi. I call them mushrooms ... I guess they are? When I lifted them gently from the cardstock this morning, they looked like floppy little pancakes.

Not daunted! From this image ...

Some fun graphics play. Inverted, erased the retainer wall backdrop, and airbursh-cloned the remaining space overhead.

Then to creating some "objects" .. the little clothing items and pegs on the line. Bunny is a partial silhouette image taken from a Dover clipart cd. This is really, a little reminiscent of a paper-cutting I did a couple of years back .

Look to Brian Garthwaite's blog Fire Would Burn Me, for his steps to taking mushroom spore prints here. On reading through Brian's notes, I find I may well have had some success if I'd used a black cardstock .. though I really think they were simply too full of moisture to have made a good print. Next time I will be more choosy.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Carole love your little fairy washing line. I think you need to repot your Basil somehow LOL. Be careful and wash your hands well after playing with fungi as some of them are a little bit toxic /well quite a lot actually in some cases :)
    I have just now posted a couple of my creations.

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  2. Your mushroom finds are lovely - I don't know if they are mushroom or not either. I love your finished art piece at the end, you have created a magic wonderland. I would love to know how to do altered art like this.

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  3. There may not be spore paintings, but there is no lack of magic in your fungus art. Such a fantastic, whimsical, and amazing piece! I really can almost see fairy dust.
    Great job, Carole!

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  4. Hi Carole, Just a quick note to let you know I made it over to your blog for a quick look! You are AMAZING!!! Love what I see! Will be back to spend more time to read and really look closely at your lovely photos and photo-editing, etc.!
    Hugs, Laura

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  5. Wonderful photographs of the fungi Carole! Your little fairy backyard washing line is fantastic!

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  6. Love the fairy laundry day piece!!!!!

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  7. Fun graphics play indeed! I love what you've done with the mushrooms. We might not know exactly what type they are, but for sure they're magical now. :)

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  8. Love the photography! The mushrooms/fungi/etc. (as I don't know what they really are either) look light and fluffy...their color is pretty too - elegant mushrooms - good title! Your card is wonderful...so fanciful! You continue to amaze Carole!!!
    Hugs,
    Jan

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  9. Hi Mum, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pic with the fairy washing line and the little bunny! I'm sure you knew I would love that :)

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  10. You are amazing! Yes, those are definitely mushrooms--I always use dark/black paper to make spore prints from the lighter gilled shrooms, as they often leave white or pale yellow prints (though not always!).

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thanks for visiting Snap Happy Birding, and for leaving a comment; I can still see them. Now both my blogs are resting in idle mode. It was time to give other things priority, even though I miss my regular blogging and the feedback that came my way over the years. Take care.