Story behind the art of Ronda Dick

Curious Allies: Mutualism in Fungi, Parasites, and Carnivores

The Fifth New York Botanical Garden Triennial

Woodland Gathering IV

Fomes fomentarius, Ganoderma applanatum, Cladonia fimbriata, Cladonis cristatella, Cladania phyllophora, Usnea hirta, Phaeophyscia adiastola, Peltigera leucophlebia

In Woodland Gathering IV, my collection of fungi and lichen pivot around the large polypore in the center of the painting. Polypores are bracket or shelf fungi that grow on trees, feeding on decaying wood. They have pores instead of gills, no stem and tend to have a leathery and woody texture.

Last summer I spent time camping on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. While biking, I spied a huge polypore on a downed birch tree. It was one of the biggest I have found and was full of bumps and lumps with many soft colors. I was instantly in love and knew it had to come home with me! Riding my bike back to the campsite and admiring it the whole way, I was already thinking of how I would use it in a painting. During the next few days, I looked for more treasures the woods could offer that might complement this gorgeous polypore. The woods did not disappoint. I was able to collect many interesting pieces which included more polypores, gilled mushrooms, decayed wood, and lichen.

Once home, I spent weeks choosing, arranging and rearranging the specimens until a pleasing composition was found. The fern was the final piece that helped tie everything together by adding more color and breaking up the white space. I painted everything life size.

Lichens and mushrooms are everywhere around us. Because they don’t scream for attention, they often blend into their environment going unnoticed. Joe Walewski says in his book, Lichen of the North Woods, that “Lichens are perhaps the most ‘obvious’ overlooked component of our landscape”.  Now that I know they exist, I enjoy the challenge of looking for and learning more about them. We paint the things we are attracted to and curious about. Painting this collection was a joy to create and will always remind me of the thrill and fun of finding these gems… or these overlooked heroes!

Specimen names starting with the large polypore and moving around clockwise:

Fomes fomentarius, tinder polypore

Lichen on soil: Cladonia cristatella, British soldiers and Cladonis phyllophora, felt horn lichen

Decaying wood with moss

Ganoderma applanatum, artist conk

Lichen on soil: Peltigera leucophlebia, ruffled freckled pelt

Unknown dried gilled mushroom

Lichen on soil: Cladonia fimbriata, trumpet lichen

Lichen on branch: Usnea hirta, bristly beard lichen and Phaeophyscia adiastola, powder tipped shadow lichen

Decayed birch knot

Debarked and bleached wood

Lichen on wood: Phaeophyscia adiastola, powder tipped shadow lichen 

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Read more about this artist's work: 24th Annual