We love the idea behind this Mushroom Color Atlas, which expertly maps the color of our wild world, and the diversity of fungus that make it up.
Created by Julie Beeler, the project featured hundred of wild foraged mushrooms which are gathered, then turned into dye baths, and then painted in swatches. The swatches are ordered and placed in a rainbow of hues, each one clickable, showing the genus, species, and more.
It’s an amazing collection, and shows the diversity of the mushroom world.
The Mushroom Color Atlas is a living study of color derived from dyeing with mushrooms. The wide-ranging forages will extend and evolve this atlas over time. Color studies will be conducted and results added to the atlas. Mycopeeps from many locations will continue to join us on this journey and contribute their knowledge.
The resulting colors are informed by a myriad of factors that influence, inform and change their chromatic outcome, but the processes and steps involved in each color study will remain consistent:
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Foraging, gathering and preparing the dye mushrooms.
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Sourcing, scouring and mordanting the fibers.
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Creating dye baths and coaxing color from the dye mushrooms.
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Dyeing the fibers in the soluble mushroom dye baths.
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Laking the dye baths to transform them into insoluble mushroom pigments.
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Making watercolor paint from the mushroom pigments.
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Using the watercolor to paint the swatches.
