A Pride of Mushrooms

And a September of waiting...

Katie Green

Sep 17, 2022

It's waiting time in The Green Bean Studio.

I'm waiting for parcels full of new goodies I've created for my shop this autumn….

Image description: A photo from above of a painting table, covered with a paint splattered tea towel, tubes of gouache paint, some fine silver-handled brushes and a ceramic pallette clearly in heavy use. Beside these, a painting with a green background and the head and shoulders of a cute red squirrel with tufty ears. The squirrel wears a red scarf and a bobble hat with a green brim and brown background, red and white toadstools depicted all around.

I'm waiting to put the last finishing touches to my new knitting patterns before I send them to print…

Image description: a close up photo of a knitted sock on a mossy rock. The top ten centimetres or so of the sock are shown, with a ribbed cuff in mid grey, some tiny colourwork red and white mushrooms, a zig zag of green and the a dark brown main sock.

I'm waiting for news on whether, after six months of waiting, I will finally be able to move into my new home soon (and tell you where it is!).

Image description: Jack, a scruffy black and tan terrier has his face right in the camera, mouth open expectantly. Behind him is a Dartmoor landscape on a grey day, with green grass and grey rocks visible beneath a cloudy sky.

Jack is, as always, waiting for treats!

While we wait, I thought I'd share some of the best mushroom photos I've taken so far this season. September is my favourite month, and this year is no exception because it's full of fun things. First and foremost, next week is my birthday. This year I'll be spending it on the road, on my way to Yorkshire for a quiet few days of rest before Yarndale. Yes - I will be exhibiting at Yarndale! I'm so happy to return to this show, which was the last I did in 2019 before the pandemic. If you're able to attend, you'll find me there with a full stand of goodies, some lovely helpers and a face mask. I might even bring some new mushroom goodies if any of the much-anticipated parcels make an appearance before I leave.

Image description: a tiny pointed brown mushroom on a thin stem rises up among blades of grass. The cap glistens in the delightful damp.

Image description: A wide-stalked orangey brown mushroom stands proudly amongst the grass.

Image description: a white person's fingertip points at the tiniest white mushroom, only as high and the finger is wide. My glee is not pictured but I'm sure you can imagine!

In this week’s YouTube video, I've shared some of the process on this painting, which thanks to a suggestion on Patreon is officially entitled A Pride of Mushrooms.

This illustration was one of those ideas which just walked into my head one morning fully formed. I was hopeful that I would be able to interpret the idea of a spectrum of mushrooms with all species found in the UK, and with a bit of research I was delighted to find that I could. Sadly I haven't met all of these species face to face (yet), although I have encountered a few.

Image description: bright bright orange fingers of staghorn fungus just beginning to emerge from a mossy log.

Image description: a tiny purple mushroom, probably an amethyst deceiver, pokes their way gently up through the moss and leaf litter to greet a very excited human with a camera.

I'm still yet to have a wild encounter with my beloved Amanita muscaria, the red and white spotted toadstools who inspired my Fairy Ring designs. I'm ever hopeful that one damp morning I might stumble upon them. Until then, I’ll just keep happily painting them and knitting them.

2 Comments

Barbara

Sep 18, 2022

Lovely episode, Katie. I love your creative work. The mushrooms are really beautiful and together would make a great poster. Seperately, they would lovely as a cover for a small notebook or sketchbook?

However, I am totally smitten with the little fern drawings on your moodboard. Can't wait to see wat you will do with those

Regards,

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Aurélie D.

Sep 19, 2022·edited Sep 19, 2022

Hello Katie :) I am delighted to see this newsletter! Your drawings of mushrooms are beautiful. It looks like some are illuminated from within or are phosphorescent, thanks to your paint effects and the black background. I really like ! And the photo of the thin yellow mushroom intrigues me a lot. Do you know his name?

In my region, I come across amanitas from time to time. I hope you will have the joy of discovering one, during one of your walks.

Have a nice day and I look forward to discovering your new knitting designs. Fingers crossed for your move to your new home !