Discover the chromatic wonders of the fungi kingdom and the incredible spectrum of pigments and dyes that can be created from mushrooms.
More closely related to humans than they are to plants, fungi are fascinating organisms – and they are a rich resource for colour collectors. Blending scientific detail, botanical illustrations, and creative inspiration, artist and educator Julie Beeler invites you to peek into her workroom as she introduces different types of dye mushrooms – from boletes to polypores to tooth fungi – and walks you through her colour-harvesting process. Offering insightful tips on foraging and colour distillation and a rainbow of colour samples, Beeler peppers in down-to-earth advice on artistic experimentation and fascinating stories about the historical and personal connections between humans and nature, offering a fresh perspective on the world of mushrooms.
Unique Field Guide to Mushrooms: This guide will take you on a journey through identifying and collecting dye mushrooms to distilling an astonishing range of colours from each one. The five hundred colour swatches included in these pages showcase an astounding array of natural dyes and pigments made from mushrooms.
A Practical and Inspirational Guide: The Mushroom Color Atlas combines step-by-step instructions for hands-on colour creation with impressive hues and eye-catching palettes. Whether you're a working designer or an emerging artist, a full-time forager or an armchair mycologist, you will find something to love in this unique exploration of science and colour.
Go Natural: The rewarding hands-on experience of working with mushroom dyes and pigments is a powerful way to feel intimately connected to nature. Beeler invites readers to forge their own creative connection to the natural world, offering advice on ethical foraging, artistic experimentation, and the abundant possibilities afforded to us by the small but mighty mushroom.
Julie Beeler is a designer, artist, and educator with a deep love and curiosity for the natural world. She lives at the base of a volcano in Trout Lake, Washington, where she forages for mushrooms and runs her fresh-cut colour flower farm, Bloom & Dye.
Yuli Gates is a multidisciplinary artist with experience in photography, illustrations, relief printing, embroidery, graphic design, and more. She is based in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, in the UK.