My desk and my free time have been given over to mushrooms– the best thing to come of our recent exceedingly hot, humid weather. The area under a small grove of oaks in our yard has been very productive. Many mushrooms form mycorrhizal relationships with plants, and oaks have particular fungi associated with them. In this partnership, the fungus provides the tree with nutrients, especially phosphorus, while the tree gives the fungus carbon. Over the years, I’ve tried to track and record as many species as I can, though it’s a challenge. Identifying them is often bewildering, as is keeping up with new ones emerging each day and competing with squirrels who seem to delight in romping through and wrecking them.

Tips and Techniques– Talk about symbiotic relationships: watercolor is a perfect medium for mushrooms and mushrooms are a perfect subject for learning watercolor. Mushroom shapes are simple to paint—upside down cups and cones on top of cylinders—so they are excellent subjects for learning to tone shapes to make them dimensional. Mushrooms also will teach you about subtle color mixing, layering, and mark making. If you find mushrooms near you—pull out your paints and enjoy!