Ever since doing an intensive and stunningly informative fungi ecology workshop with Alison Pouliot a year or so back, I have set myself the task of quietly foraging my way through the edible wild mushroom species. It's all fun and adventure.

The trick I have found is to learn all I need to know to positively identify one particular mushroom that I want to find and taste, then get outside and enjoy the forests. It's a slow method, but positive identification is the only safe way. I guess I could also get out there and pick one example of every mushroom I find and them attempt to identify them, but I have found identifying a bag full of unknown mushrooms to be so very time consuming.

Some of these foraged discoveries are a lot more edible than others! It's all part of the adventure.

As I mentioned in the previous post, I have very quickly discovered that edible does not mean palatable or even delicious, it just means it won't harm or kill you. So it is a delight to discover (read - stumble upon while not looking, again while walking the dogs) a new gem.

Coprinus comatus - Shaggy Ink Caps or Lawyers Wigs. Apparently cultivated in China as a food but completely overlooked here. Total waste.

As of last night, I can now say these are wonderful eating.

A wonderful unexpected discovery while walking the dogs and exploring a new patch of ground. A delightful bonus of taking the time to look and breathe. My favourite wild foraged mushroom.

In learning about wild foraged foods, it has been an adjustment to find that although there are many plants which are considered edible, that doesn't mean that you would want to eat them. Technically grass is edible. But why would you want to? Point made?

Edible. Palatable. Delightful. 

There is quite a difference.

So it is a gleeful moment when I find one of the wild culinary delights. A truly delicious treat. This little lilac lovely is my favourite wild mushroom of the ones I have tried so far. It's lepista nuda, the blewitt.

Fried in a little butter and salt. The liquid they give out is a sublime and perfect cream of mushroom soup all on it's own. The mushrooms themselves are divinely flavourful. A simple zen treat.

Artist inspiration and artist influences. No biographies, dates or scholarly research here -  this is a personal response to the work of Sir Henry Raeburn by Australian artist Fiona Morgan.

While I was living in Edinburgh I became fascinated with the stories of the very very many inventive and creative Scots of times past from that city. You may be amazed at just how many breakthroughs we take for granted in modern life were Scottish in origin. Sir Henry Raeburn, as a venerated citizen of Edinburgh, came to my attention.

Anne Raeburn

 It is as much Henry Raeburns' story as his paintings that catch my admiration. He was an outsider to the art establishment, who did the work necessary to become a great painter. Let me summarise:

William Robertson, Lord Robertson

 Henry Raeburn began his working life as an apprentice goldsmith. For a bit of context, his era was 1756-1823 in Edinburgh, Scotland. As part of the job he was required to paint miniature portraits, for which it turned out he had some talent. His employer introduced him to Edinburgh's leading portrait artist of the day who gave him advice and loaned him pictures to practice copying.

Colonel Alastair Ranaldson Macdonell of Glengarry

 He decided to become a portrait artist himself. To increase his skill he sought advice from the best artists in Britain and travelled to Italy to study the paintings there, as recommended. After two years of travel and study he returned to Edinburgh and established his portrait painting business, for which he built his own studio. He was successful and well regarded.

Commander Hugh Clapperton

A bad business investment bankrupted him but did not stop him. He painted his way out of debt, recovered his fortune and ended up being knighted.

Elizabeth Campbell Marchesa di Spineto

 I love his story of perseverance, discipline, study and hard work (with a dash of entrepreneurial chutzpah) that took him from being an orphan with nothing and a complete outsider to the art establishment, to a technically accomplished and wealthy painter of portraits of high society.

Elizabeth Hamilton

Onto his actual painting. Usually this quite old (some would say classic) style of painting bores me silly. Yes, yes, I admire and appreciate the technical ability, but the murky shadows, highly dramatised lighting, period dress and stiffness of the sitters just fails to fill me with enthusiasm.

Miss Eleanor Urquhart

 
However, I do enjoy Raeburn's painting. He only painted from life, and I think it shows through in the way each sitter has a personality and a believably real pose.

Mrs R. Scott Moncrieff

The skin of the subjects in his paintings glow with light. The portraits are of live people! And although the highly dramatised lighting does irritate me (on some days, depending on what I've had for breakfast), I appreciate that the way the light is used to focus your eye is very effective. I find the full range of light to dark contrasts makes for bold, strong work.

Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch

I enjoy the sumptuous texture of the clothing in his paintings which is just tight enough to convey the fabric. In this way that he used his brushstrokes he was ahead of his time, with a confident and masterful square brush technique sometimes bordering on the modern bravura handling so popular today (both which enthrall me).

Sir Walter Scott

More Sir Henry Raeburn links

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/artists-a-z/R/4399/artistName/Sir%20Henry%20Raeburn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Raeburn
http://www.britsattheirbest.com/archives/002612.php

The Creative Cauldron series of posts explores and showcases the visual styles, techniques, attitudes, ideas, artists and paintings that have had the most impact on me. 

The rest of the series is accessible via the Creative Cauldron page. Have a meander if you please, and remember to check out my artworks on Flickr, and have an insider peek at life as an artist on Facebook.

Artist inspiration and artist influences. No biographies, dates or scholarly research here -  this is a personal response to the work of Tom Thomson by Australian artist Fiona Morgan.

After the Sleet Storm

It's only quite recently that I have become aware of the paintings of Canadian artist Tom Thomson.

Algonquin Park

Decorative Landscape Birches

Apparently he holds legendary status in Canada in a similar way to Tom Roberts here in Australia. His paintings were done at a culturally important time for the nation and manage to embody a kind of national spirit. Not being Canadian I did not see or feel this when I discovered his paintings, it's something that has been brought to my attention in research. Instead I was instantly grabbed by three standout elements of his work.

Early Spring

Early Spring

Pattern. Many artists rearrange what they see in front of them to form a pleasing composition (and this is something many amateurs don't seem to understand). Tom Thomson takes this to a greater extreme than most, actually making it a feature instead of a subtle way to improve a painting.

Evening, Canoe Lake

In the Northland

The patterns are the strongest design element. There are shades of Japanese design and Art Nouveau in his arrangements. The patterning is so strong that you can change the colours in his images and the overall design stays strong. The patterns are so strong and such a feature that they become decorative. I mean this as a compliment, not in a snooty nosed derisive manner. I love the decorativeness of his patterns, the way he has rearranged the landscape before him into beautiful shapes.

Maple Saplings

Northern River

Apparently he was a self taught painter, with a background as a graphic designer. His era was the early 1900's, when graphic design was illustration and poster design. It was a goldern era for illustration, where high technical skill was normal and the ability to compose or design in an eye-grabbing manner and lead the viewers eye around, was expected. I see a strong similarity between the poster design of the era, and the design of his paintings. It's a large part of my admiration for his work.

Pine Trees at Sunset

Sombre Day

Colour. The way Tom Thomson uses or chooses colour makes me swoon. Restricted palette. Subtle groups of related colours. Bright yet not dancing around with it's pants off. Wonderful contrasts of lights and darks.  I am working toward somewhat toning down my palette, and I consider the balance he has found to be an ideal to work towards.

Spring Algonquin

The Birch Grove, Autumn

Texture. Something I love when I discover it and would like to do more of myself is putting texture in the paint. This is a hallmark of Van Gogh's work, and also an aspect I admire of Criss Canning's paintings. The brushstrokes are part of the patterning. The paint is highlighted. His works are paintings, not images.

The Drive

The Pool

To me his work is so strong and compelling that I had great difficulty in choosing which paintings to include in this post. His work completely knocked me out when I first discovered it, which is not something that happens often anymore. And funnily enough, this painter has once again highlighted to me my soft spot for landscape paintings. Hmmm....

Woodland Waterfall

More Tom Thomson links

http://www.tomthomson.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Thomson

The Creative Cauldron series of posts explores and showcases the visual styles, techniques, attitudes, ideas, artists and paintings that have had the most impact on me. 

The rest of the series is accessible via the Creative Cauldron page. Have a meander if you please, and remember to check out my artworks on Flickr, and have an insider peek at life as an artist on Facebook.