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Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Turkey Tail Fungus

“Turkey Tail Fungus” 

Copyright Susan Brubaker Knapp 2022

20.75 x 25.5"


White cotton fabric, acrylic textile paint, cotton batting, interfacing, cotton backing, cotton thread. Wholecloth painted, free-motion quilted.

This piece is part of my Botanical Series, and will be exhibited – and for sale – through the North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill March-April 2022. 

It is based on a photo I took on our property (I hesitate to call it a yard, because it is so heavily wooded, and “yard” conjures images of a carefully groomed lawn and shrubs.) We have been trying to leave the dead branches and leaves, as they are good for the birds and insects and other living creatures, and removing the invasive species (we have a ton of English ivy, and my husband has been tearing it down off the trees bit by bit). 

Right after we moved in to this house, in early 2020, I put on my boots and tromped down the hill and discovered this amazing Turkey Tail fungus growing on a dead log. Turkey Tail can grow in many color combinations, and this one had greens and yellows. I’ve seen photos of them growing in shades of browns and even blue-violets.