Mushroom Cards 2022

Greetings Mushroom Artist!

 

Thanks for your interest in this joint project run by Metchosin ArtPod and the Metchosin Foundation. Our aim is to unite artists and naturalists in our greater community in a fun and educational project.

 

Artist: Jeni Luther

 

How it works:

Artists: donate the use of their mushroom image to the ABC project for cards and promotion. The original work remains that of the artist. Artist’ names and websites are placed on the front (image side) of the cards in perpetuity (=advertising!) if artists choose.

Naturalists (lead by mycologist Kem Luther*): research and provide the most current information to be used on the backs of the cards. Cards will be sold for use by students, artists, and other community members to further their appreciation of local art, artists and mushrooms.

 

Card decks of 36 mushrooms are sold for $25 through the Metchosin Foundation and Metchosin ArtPod (and possibly other non-profit nature groups TDB) and the (nominal) profits of the cards go to towards offsetting the programming costs of these non-profit organizations.

 

Step One: Choose a mushroom.

 

(Optional) go on a mushroom walk with Kem Luther- take photos, learn lots about mushrooms. Next dates: 

Thursday, Nov 4, 10 am, Eleanor Mann Park (Alden Road entrance)

Tuesday, Nov 9, 10 am, Witty’s Lagoon Park

 

After you read through all the information below, follow this link for list of mushrooms and to sign up:

https://tinyurl.com/artnaturecards-2022

  • NB: one mushroom / artist

 

Step Two: Guidelines for drawing your mushroom

  1. The image must be oriented vertically. High contrast (pen and ink rather than pencil on paper, or most painted images are good) images work best.
  2. Properly research the correct appearance of your mushroom, local to southern Vancouver Island. Do not just Google images from the internet. Consult a proper mushroom ID book (preferably several— Kem Luther also has images he can share with you) and get acquainted with characteristics that distinguish it from other similar-appearing mushrooms. Naturalists will check over these images! Last year we did have to send several images back to the artists for correction because they drew/ painted variants which did not exist here around southern Vancouver Island or because they were too imaginative in their colour
  3. The image size is 11cm x 16cm. Please look at the image below to understand how the “bleed” works. Note that though the FINAL finished size of the cards is 10cmx 15cm, so you actually must provide an extra “throw-away” border of .5cm all the way around.  The border could be foliage or background landscape… and even a part of the mushroom if you are doing a close up, but not a CRITICAL part of the mushroom. Of course you are welcome to work larger in a multiple of this – say 20cmx30cm (plus min 1cm border all the way around so 22×32), or 40cmx 60cm (plus min 2cm border= 44x64cm), etc… 
  4. Submit image of your piece (you retain the original always) at (minimum) 300dpi to artnaturecards@gmail.com
  • deadline for submission is mid March-  a naturalist will look at your art to make sure it is  representative and accurate to be used for ID in the field.
  • submissions that come in before this time are much appreciated

 

Step Three: The Product

  • The finished decks will sell for $25. They are printed on a water-proof , tear-resistant paper that makes them nice and durable, and the colour of the images is retained. They come in a sturdy cardboard box, with an info sheet listing all the birds and some scientific vocabulary (one term introduced one each card). Your name and link to your e-mail or social media platform (if you wish) goes (tastefully) on the front of your image.
  • These decks are very popular with artists and naturalists, young and old
  • Attend the Launch event end May (Covid willing)- details TBA

 

Timeline: 

Oct – March: Local artists sign-up for a mushroom species (one per artist). Project may fill well before March deadline. Kem Luther holds mushroom walks for interested artists.

1 March: all mushrooms will have been assigned by now.

1 April: High Res images of mushroom art submitted as per format below to memetopia@gmail.com

15 April: Card formatting finished and Naturalist notes added to back side

Early May: Formatted Cards to printer. Boxes ordered.

Mid- May: Cards back from Printer. Assemble boxes, label them. Box the cards.

Late May/ Early  June: Possible Kick-off even TBA.  Decks on sale.

 

PS: * Who is Kem Luther?

Kem started all these nature decks off 5 years ago or so, with a flower deck c/w photos (a few years  later I  suggested a drawn bird deck using local artists in an effort to unite different people in the community- artists and naturalists- within one project). Kem is also one of the founders of the Metchosin Foundation, and is a dogged mycologist and naturalist in general.  He just recently co-authored the newest, definitive BC ID guide with fellow naturalist and mycologist Andy McKinnon called Mushrooms of British Columbia. Available for ~$35 at Munro’s and through the RBC Museum when reprinted Dec. 17:

https://publications.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/product/mushrooms-of-british-columbia/