I mentioned in my previous entry, how much I love autumn and another reason for that is that it is, that this is the main season for the appearance of strange and wonderful forms pushing up through the earth amongst grasses, woodland and forestry.
Magical, mysterious and some may find them rather scary, seemingly alien little beings ... yet many are edible!
Magical, mysterious and some may find them rather scary, seemingly alien little beings ... yet many are edible!
Yes, it's a time to go foraying for fungi. For those that know exactly which are safe to eat, this is the time of year when one can enjoy additions to meals that are far tastier than those farm grown mushrooms found on the supermarket shelves all year round.
To be fair we have over the years become more used to seeing other species such as shitake, chestnut & oyster mushrooms which have become more readily acceptable and available here in U.K, due to a multitude of television programmes over the years about chefs, both professional and amateur. Mostly those specimens are commercially farmed.
To be fair we have over the years become more used to seeing other species such as shitake, chestnut & oyster mushrooms which have become more readily acceptable and available here in U.K, due to a multitude of television programmes over the years about chefs, both professional and amateur. Mostly those specimens are commercially farmed.
Though packets of dried porcini can be added to ones shopping basket, the pleasure of the real thing in ones gathering basket is just an extra special pleasure of the autumnal harvest, though as in the case of Agaricus macrosporous, it is to be found around July time
So much so that one could almost reach out and pick them ...
Agaricus macrosporus.
Here on this page I want to take you on a small but rather special virtual foray which is only made possible due to the most fantastic illustrations painted by one extremely talented mycological artist who sadly passed away a year ago today.
Ray Cowell's patience in painting these delicate and wonderful watercolour portraits of fungi, was just incredible and the rewards for her keenly observant eye and painstaking attention to even the tiniest detail, bring the specimens she painted to life. So much so that one could almost reach out and pick them ...
in the case of The Common Morrel below, they're to be found in Springtime.
The Common Morrel. Morchella esculenta
The Chanterelle. Cantherellus cibarius.
The Wood Blewit. Lepista nuda.
The Blewit. Lepista saeva.
The Cep. Boletus edulis.
Following her death, her husband Eric Cowell, honoured her wishes and donated the whole of her mycological studies (well over 250 paintings) to The Royal Horticultural Society Library at Kew, where they are currently being catalogued as an invaluable addition to their collection, as are many of the rare mycological books she collected.
Following her death, her husband Eric Cowell, honoured her wishes and donated the whole of her mycological studies (well over 250 paintings) to The Royal Horticultural Society Library at Kew, where they are currently being catalogued as an invaluable addition to their collection, as are many of the rare mycological books she collected.
These are just nine images of her wonderful body of work.
She is greatly missed by so many who knew her.
For further information on her technique, google Kew Blogs, Ray Cowell's Illustrations. Kew have already displayed some of her work in the reading room, an exhibition that received a great deal of interest. Her mycological artwork is thought to be the best in the world and her talent is now available for those who visit Kew to go and see. Please do.
She is greatly missed by so many who knew her.
For further information on her technique, google Kew Blogs, Ray Cowell's Illustrations. Kew have already displayed some of her work in the reading room, an exhibition that received a great deal of interest. Her mycological artwork is thought to be the best in the world and her talent is now available for those who visit Kew to go and see. Please do.
Horn of plenty. Craterellus cornucopiodes.
The Horse mushroom. Agaricus arvensis.
But Ray did not only illustrate edible specimens as in this group of Fly Agarics.
The Fly Agaric. Amanita muscaria.
They are beautiful artworks
ReplyDeleteHi Claire,
ReplyDeletethank you for your lovely comment. I have googled you and what a delight of fine artwork.I recommend your web site to others with similar interests. So folks google
"Botanical, Landscapes & Nature Art by Caire Kathleen Ward." A very talented, diverse artist.
From Eric of Bamenda. Lovely, informative, moving.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
DeleteI just hope that the "A Fungal Foray" post will encourage others to A) visit Kew and see the amazing collection of artwork they look after and B) inspire other fungal artists to pay so much attention to detail. She was unique!
thankyou , dick miles.
ReplyDeleteOne of my abiding memories was going on a foray with Ray and Eric, piling into 'Matilda' (the trusty Land Rover that I know was sadly stolen and burnt out) and heading for the forest around the Mildenhall area.
ReplyDeleteAfter a great day finding mushrooms we returned to Wicked and 'pigged out' on our collection. Blewits and bolitus are the two that stick out in my mind. I have never since tasted any mushroom as good as the ones we ate that day.
Cheers Ray and Eric!