Mushroom Study in Rust Red No. 2

This autumn, some fungi growing in the woods behind our house caught my attention. Unlike the dying vegetation surrounding them, these mushrooms seemed to be thriving in the midst of decay. Fungi are supported by deep underground root systems that are invisible but vital to their survival. Even when they disappear above ground, mushrooms can survive dormant until reemerging when the conditions are right. The resiliency of mushrooms seemed to me to showcase the interconnectedness of both light and dark in our beautiful, complex world. They quietly remind us that even when the darkness seems overwhelming, the potential for renewal is always latent.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        My fascination with this delicate balance of contradictions led me to create the "Woodland Tapestry" collection of mushroom portra