All images © Ann Wood, shared with permission
From delicate gills and colorful caps to plump stems with remnants of soil stuck to the bottoms, ’s elaborate fungi look like they were just plucked from the ground, but these stunning specimens are made entirely from paper ().
Wood has always been interested in working with the medium, and about ten years ago, she began making realistic plants. “At first, I looked at photographs and botanical illustrations to understand specimens,” she tells Colossal. “It became clear quickly that I needed to have real plant material to examine. I think it is the only way to truly understand the parts and how to sculpt them.” Only within the last year has Wood begun crafting mushrooms, carefully cutting tiny strips of paper or utilizing its inherent pulpiness to create fuzzy details.
Fungi is impossible to keep looking fresh for the week-or-so it takes to complete each piece, so the artist takes some minor liberties with color or texture but attempts to stick to nature as much as possible. “I often wake up in the morning with new ideas—new ways to use (the material) in a way that makes the mushrooms look real,” she says. “There’s an endless amount of things that could be created. I want to make one of everything.”
Wood works alongside her husband, fellow artist Dean Lucker, as Minneapolis-based studio WoodLucker. Find more on , where she often shares wonderful videos highlighting each specimen’s distinctive qualities.
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