Bell Shaped Panaeolus Mushroom...Original Watercolor painting... 4 x 6

Bell Shaped Panaeolus...

Original Watercolor painting by Tracey (me)

Watercolor on 100% Cotton Paper, 4" W x 6" T   

*Listing is for one painting in pics #1 and 2.  Picture #3 with four paintings is just to show others in the series. This listing is for one single painting only

Mushrooms are most definitely getting some major recognition these days. With documentaries about their incredible intelligence and intricate survival tactics. There are foraging groups sprouting up all over the world  (heehee...see what I did there?) They've become a massive subject for decor of all kinds. Everything from tattoos to lighing, wall art to health food and cure-alls. The mystery that surrounds them is being chipped away at by scientists and revealing that their health benefits can seemingly make all the problems of the world go away.....possibly by eating a poisonous one. Poof! No more problems! But that's part of the fascination...something so cute and unassuming that can bring you back from the grave...or put you in it. Thankfully, these are not the kind...unless you eat the painting. And at that point I think you may have more issues than being poisoned

Did you know??....                                                                                                                                                                          ♦ Fungi are the largest living organisms on the planet. (Mushrooms are the fruit of fungi) It's a single honey mushroom (Armillaria ostoyae) in the Malheur National Forest, Oregon and is at least 2400 years old.                                                          ♦ Button, Cremini and Portobello mushrooms are the same mushroom. Only difference is their age.                                            ♦ 350 million years ago there were 24' mushrooms on earth.                                                                                                  ♦The Death Cap mushroom is one of the deadliest organisms on earth. Just one half has enough toxins to kill an adult.  Apparently they look very similar to the edible ones so bit of an issue there.  

All of my paintings are originals (Not prints)  and painted by myself (Tracey Connor) They make great one-of-a-kind gifts and are easily framed with commercial picture frames (TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby is a great resource for them!)  However, canvas blocks need no framing!                                                                                                                                                                ♦ I take pics in a few lighting situations but keep in mind, individual monitor settings can make colors vary slightly.

For my Watercolors, I use a 100% cotton, heavy weight archival paper. (meaning it's acid free and will not yellow over time)    I leave a border on most but that can be covered up with a mat if you prefer. I do prefer the look of it though. I ship them sandwiched between carboard so it keeps them nice and flat and protects all edges. It also gives me a way to recycle my boxes. A win win!

For my Oil paintings, I prefer oil on both canvas or board (wood). I primarily use canvas wrapped wood blocks so they can be hung without the need for framing or any special tools since they're smaller and lighter weight. A small nail or even a push pin in a solid wall will do it!  I love the dimensional effect this gives as they are painted on all 4 sides as well. I love that they look good alone or even in groups for a fun variety of artwork without taking up too much space. (see last pic for a sample of this)  Even though these are smaller works, they take anywhere from 5 - 10 hours to complete. They are all signed (usually on the back... I find the signature is a bit of an distraction on smaller paintings.) These make great gifts or even a treat for yourself! Because everyone should have art in their lives. ♥

A bit about me and art...                                                                                                                                                               As with all of my work, I am self-taught. Glass, clay silversmithing, sewing and painting. Like many. it's just something I was born with. The desire to make stuff. I've been doing it since my motor skills allowed. I just see something that sparks an idea (and that could be anything...a color combo, a shape, my cats, a dream, a song, anything.) and after I do my mental assessment, I try it. I can look at something, get an idea, ask myself  "Can I make that? How? What do I need? Do I already have the supplies? Would it take a long time to make it?  Would I like to do it? And lastly, "Would I be able to sell it"?  And if all or most of these are a YES, I give it a whirl. This is a super fast, 30 second thought process. Maybe less. Sometimes I absolutely love it. Sometimes,well, not so much. The stuff in the "Love" column will be practiced until I get the hang of it and sold right on here. Some of the things in the "not so much" category are things like stained glass. (hated it. Everything about it.)  Acrylic pour painting (hated it...too messy), knitting  (hated it but wanted to love it...just takes way too long) This does not mean what I made was awful (although somtimes it was).  It just means I didn't enjoy it. At all.  But I can absolutely appreciate the work that goes into it and the skill and talent that it takes to create these things. (nothing makes you appreciate art like trying to do it yourself!) But the point I'm trying to make is that I do try lots of stuff and also fail! But that's how we learn. That's how we know what doesn't work. Be patient with yourself. And don't beat yourself up if something isn't "perfect". You'll get better. And keep the "failures"! They allow you to look back and see how far you've come! Many people think they can't do something all because they haven't tried. And who knows...maybe you've got a hidden talent in there! Everyone is great at something. They just need to discover what that thing is. And trying any art is a great place to start!