Mushroom Tints and Toners

I'm often out foraging for mushrooms, which I use medicinally and as food. Recently, I've been experimenting with making film tints and toners from the mushrooms I gather.

This Gymnopilus species will make a gorgeous yellow-orange dye when combined with an alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) mordant. These mature specimens are releasing masses of their gorgeous cinnamon-orange spores. The more mature the better for the color of the dye.Gymnopilus sp. spores. Fall 2016.jpg

The cut Gymnopilus mushrooms laid out on drying racks. Drying the mushrooms before extracting their pigment enhances the color produced.

Gymnopilus sp. on drying racks. Fall 2016.JPG

Lichens also make marvelous dyes:

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This beauty isn't destined for the dye pot, but its structure is well deserving of a post. It's a Dictyophora duplicata (Net Stinkhorn) egg.

Dictyophora duplicata (Net Stinkhorn) egg._Fall 2016 Montague.jpg