Work in Progress - SO Close! SOOOO CLOSE! Oil on canvas. And some factoids about mushrooms!

Just a couple things I want to add to this. Some little wood mushrooms into all the corners, darken some stems at the bottom by her feet, a few more enokis, and a bit more lichen. I think I can do that in one more layer. Oh, and final detailing into the left side of her dress mushroom, there.

I still haven't done much research on what's there, but to get me in the spirit of better details, here's some cursory info on some of the mushrooms that make up this piece!

1. Oudemansiella, her dress and legs. It's also known as the porcelain mushroom. It grows out of rotten wood, and is thought to be non-toxic after the removal of its mucosal outer layer.

2)Enokitake Mushrooms, her torso. We just call them Enoki mushrooms where I live. You can buy them in just about any grocery store. The cultivated version we see is long, thin and white, from being grown in a dark, CO2-rich environment. The wild counterpart has a much thicker stem, and browner cap, and it grows out of Ash, Persimmon, Mulberry, and Hackberry trees. When I do my real research, I want to get into the pharmaceutical studies involving these crunchy little morsels.

3)Amanita Caesarea, her arms. Also known as Caesar's mushroom, this mushroom is considered to be edible, though not recommended because of it's close relation to more toxic species of fungi such as the psychedelic Fly Agaric, and the deadly Death Cap and Destroying Angels. Also because it has a very high heavy metal content, of Cadmium. The mature fruiting body of Caesar's mushroom flattens out. I've depicted an immature fruiting body.

4)Amanita Muscaria, her shoes. Commonly known as Fly Agaric, this mushroom is considered to be hallucinogenic, if mildly toxic. It gets its common name from the old belief that it acts as an insecticide when dropped in milk.

5)Schizophyllum Commune, her hair. This is the only known fungus that can retract by movement. It's coveted for its flavour and apparent medicinal properties. Although there is a mix of opinion on whether this mushroom is edible, this is evidently a matter of taste rather than toxicity, since many cultures, especially in South America, prize it above other mushroom dishes.

1. Shimeji Brown, her face. A commonly, though apparently difficultly cultivated mushroom with a nutty flavour.

So there you have it. She's all edible. I've got more in-depth research to do on all these, but here's a fun starter kit of info on these fungi.

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