Mushrooms grow in an astonishing array of colors. By following some simple (and not-so-simple) recipes, you can extract the colors to make dyes. Mycologist Julie Beeler's Mushroom Color Atlas is a free online guide to dozens of mushroom species and their kaleidoscopic colors along with detail about how to prepare dyes with them. And now the atlas is becoming a book!
From the description of Mushroom Color Atlas: A Guide to Dyes and Pigments Made from Fungi:
In an era when we are increasingly reliant on technology and corporate consumer goods, creating colorants from mushrooms feels like a radical act. Learning to extract these rich colors—which requires making countless decisions with our eyes, hands, and esthetic intuitions—gives us an intimate connection to each hue and its mushroom source. The time-honored, hands-on practice of working with the fruits of the natural world presents an opportunity to reorient ourselves toward renewable sources and sustainable practices.
Previously:
• Did you know that button, cremini, and portobello mushrooms are all the same mushroom, just at different stages of growth?
• Stunning village of tiny mushrooms caught on camera
• Time lapse of an 'ink cap' mushroom dripping black liquid
• Mushrooming made easy. Really easy
(via Kottke)
