Story behind the art of Ronda Dick

27th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

Woodland Gathering Vl

Trametes betulina, Trametes versicolor

I have an affinity for dried plant matter and fungi! Their muted colors, pronounced angular lines, and unusual shapes caused by the process of decay draw me in and capture my interest. I enjoy being on the hunt for unique specimens of broken twigs/wood, stems, leaves, seed pods, bark, and the fungi that break them down. Being past their prime and blending into their environment, they could be dismissed and seen as ordinary. But when I pick them up and examine them more closely, they are quite extraordinary.

The last few years, I have been working on a series of paintings that portray and document my “extraordinary” finds, hoping others will see them as I do. Usually, one stands out and becomes a catalyst for the whole composition. The catalyst in Woodland Gathering VI is the mushroom at the top of the painting. It was collected along with two others on a decaying tree that had fallen into a lake in Wisconsin. Retrieving all three was a little precarious since the tree was not sturdy (defiantly decaying) and I did not want to get wet. In the end I was dry and back on land with three little gems that I dubbed the “three sisters”. (The other two sisters have inspired their own paintings.)

Both mushrooms in this painting are polypores, which are bracket or shelf mushrooms that expel spores through the pores on their underside. These decomposers of wood tend to be thicker and tougher than most mushrooms and can survive through the winter.

These two polypores look very similar from above and are classified in the same genus of Trametes. Both are shelf-like, with concentric markings radiating outward, and with varying muted colors. But when you turn them over and look underneath, it is evident they are different. The bottom polypore is Trametes versicolor or turkey tail, which is a very common mushroom in the United States. Turned over you will find small pores. The top one is Trametes betulina or multicolored gilled polypore. Turning this one over you will not find pores but gills! (Yes, like in art, science rules can be broken!).

Wood in all forms catches my eye. Each piece tends to not only have interesting lines, shapes and colors, but a history or story to tell. The piece in this painting, with its shedding bark, certainly is decaying, but is graciously doing so.

Note: Mushrooms are fruiting bodies and if removed will not harm the fungi (this can be likened to picking apples off a tree). Foraging on public land for mushrooms is permissible in Minnesota and Wisconsin if not done commercially, but for personal use. Since rules may vary by what type of public land you are on (state forest, state park, or wildlife managed area) it is important to check.

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Read more about this artist's work: Curious Allies