Lichen Study #2

Lichen Study #2
Copyright Susan Brubaker Knapp 2023
7x15"

Another lichen! Lutradur, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, perle cotton, hand-dyed cotton fabric, interfacing. Painted, heated, machine free-motion quilted.

 

Lichen Study #1

 

Lichen Study #1
(Copyright 2023 Susan Brubaker Knapp) 6x8”

I’ve been reading Merlin Sheldrake’s book Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures, and it is fascinating. I’ve always been interested in mushrooms and lichens, but this book helps me understand how important they are to our world.

Mycologists are only recently starting to understand that lichens are composite organisms – they can be an algae and fungus; or an algae, fungus and cyanobacteria; or contain multiple fungi species. They live together in a relationship that helps them all.

This small piece is not meant to represent any specific lichen. I just tried to represent lichen-ness when I made it. 

Lutradur, acrylic textile paint, cotton thread, perle cotton, cotton fabric, interfacing. Painted, heated, machine free-motion quilted and hand embroidered.