CMS Meeting Thursday, February 12, 2015: Mushroom Identification with Artist Ann Goddard

Ann Goddard grew up in Oregon and has spent almost 40 years illustrating Pacific Northwest mushrooms.  Intrigued by the many fungi sprouting along roadsides in Seattle, noticed while walking her dog, Ann began to try to identify them.  It became quickly clear that it would take very detailed examination to tell one little brown mushroom from the other.

Frustrated by the limited illustrations in the field guides, she took up colored pencils.  Assisted by some early training at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, she learned the challenges and joys of drawing from life objects which changed by the minute and were completely disintegrated in days, if not hours.

Hypomyces by Ann Goddard

Ann is also a photographer, and has kept photographs, field notes, spore prints, and dried samples many of the mushrooms she’s illustrated.  Back in the 1970’s, she attended a number of mycological workshops and began trying to identify the mushrooms with the help of the likes of Dr. Alexander Smith, Paul Stamets, and others. It’s been the challenge of illustrating every different fungus she finds on the central Oregon coast where she’s lived for the past 30+ years that has been her seasonal obsession.  No mushroom is too small or complicated to draw (though she’s thankful she’s yet to find a cauliflower mushroom).

Many of the mushrooms she has illustrated have not been identified.  Are there some which have yet to be named?  Probably.  The Cascade Mycological Society is invited to help suggest identities as they see some of the more than 800 illustrations captured by Ann Goddard.

Meet at 7:00 pm, room 115, Science Building (Building 16) at Lane Community College in Eugene. There will be a mushroom show and tell identification session prior to the speaker. Bring what’s in your basket, edible or not, and learn from the experienced members of our community.  The talk is free and open to the public.

Amanita by Ann Goddard