Kootenay
Conks
‘Spore’namental art’:
‘Shelf Mushrooms’ for your shelves
Polypore mushrooms- also called ‘bracket mushrooms’ or ‘shelf fungi’, are species of fungi’s that form large bracket shaped Fruiting bodies called ‘conks’.
There are many different species of polypores found globally, and while they all share a similar shape, the species vary greatly when it comes to edibility or other uses: some polypores such as ‘turkey tail’ or ‘Reishi’ are harvested for medicinal uses in teas or tinctures, while others like ‘Chicken of the woods’ are coveted for their edibility. Others are not as versatile, with little or no edible or medicinal value to humans, and instead acting as an organic decomposer within the forests ecosystems, and it’s these often overlooked Polypores that I use for my Canvases.
Pyrography Originals hand burned on a natural Polypore Mushroom Canvas.
The ‘Red belted Polypore’ is the species I utilize the most, as it’s the easiest to find, growing abundantly in the forests around the Kootenay’s. It’s the most common polypore found in North America: in particular Canada and the PNW, and it’s also the largest cause of deforestation aside from humans and wildfires- the latter of which it helps cause.
The Red Belt fungus infects trees through damage caused by animals or storms, then proceeds to grow and spread throughout the wood of the trunk as a large connected network of white root-like structures called ‘mycelium’.
This mycelium honeycombs its way throughout the trunk, slowly decomposing and breaking down the wood for nutrients over the years until it’s depleted; eventually breaking down into a crumbly brown pulp on the forest floor: a main component of soil.
The ‘Conk’ that grows on the outside of the tree is the fungal networks ‘fruiting body’ or reproductive organ, which sends reproductive spores into the air to then go on to infect other trees. The presence of a fruiting body is indicative of extensive internal decay by the mycelium network: if you see a conk, the tree is essentially already dead.
Harvesting the fruiting body does not affect the main fungal body, as it exists within the tree itself, and there is no way to manage or stop the spread. These infected trees are then susceptible to windstorms and heavy winters, and will eventually start falling by large numbers within a vicinity: creating huge fire hazards by essentially becoming massive fuel piles. Cutting up the wood and clearing out these affected areas is a way to attempt to lower the wildfire risk, and during this process any conks present are just discarded or thrown onto slash piles.
This is where I come in: rescuing these polypores from being discarded and instead turning them into natural and unique Canvases for my pyrography.
Organic
Art
Once the mushrooms are completely dried and sterilized with heat, I simply burn on the white undersides as though they’re wood.
They make a surprisingly versatile surface to work with, allowing me to still carve in the different fur textures and finest of details onto the surface.
There’s no finishes necessary for these conks- once dried they will last for decades, so there’s no added chemicals, ingredients, or bi-products, to these pieces- just mushrooms and heat: a completely natural and organic canvas with zero waste involved- you could essentially just toss them back outside or on the compost pile without any environmental harm.
Due to international import restrictions these conks are only available for shipping within Canada.
A new collection of ‘Kootenay Conk’ original pieces will be available for online sale soon-
In the meantime you can find them with me at select Kootenay Farmers markets throughout the summer.
