This past week I took an online course from English fungi fiber artist, Sophie Wheatley. I love the realism of her felted mushrooms and look forward to learning more. The Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly amanita is as striking as it is poisonous. Many times bright colors in nature serve as warning colors. The bright orange, black and white monarch butterfly is one example. Monarch caterpillars store toxins from the milkweeds they feed upon. The toxins give the caterpillars a very unpleasant taste, making them an unappealing meal. This protection remains throughout their entire life. The viceroy butterfly mimics the monarch in appearance and gains protection through mimicry. In creating an amanita fairy, I imagined that fairies are immune to the amanita's poison while enjoying its protection from predators. A bit of mimicry in Fairy Land.
I am anxiously awaiting a shipment of wool that will further expand my natural color palette. So many ideas are swirling in my brain I can hardly keep up!