Something a little different, because I’d rather show you than tell you. If you follow me on instagram (like many of you do), you’ll know I have a deep love and reverence for many things in nature, particularly lichen, moss, seaweed and fungi. In fact my phone is full of photos along these lines and yet I rarely share them.
On my travels through the Scottish Highlands this Summer, my senses were spoilt by such beautiful encounters. I saw lots of seaweed that I’m familiar with on the South coast of England (where I grew up). And some that I’d never seen before. Lots of seaweed I find on British beaches have pockets of air to keep the stipe (seaweed stem) afloat .
I’m very slowly learning to identify some of the basic types and their structures. It’s very exciting that I can continue this passion at all times of year. Bottom right (below) is one I haven’t seen before (the colour specifically) and the struggle to identify it is an enjoyable challenge. It probably helps that (as you may notice) these colours are absolutely the colour palette that brings me the most joy, somewhere deep in a way I can’t put into words. (Perhaps you have a similar thing that brings you that deep sense of awe and satisfaction? I’d love to hear what it is.)
I’ve said it before but I wholly recommend Merlin Sheldrake’s book Entangled life if you’d love to know a bit more about fungi and lichen but you’re not sure where to start. I didn’t expect to discover so many mushrooms in August, as I always associate them predominantly with Autumn. So these were a surprise (a result of a staggeringly hot Spring and incredibly wet Summer caused by climate change?) Of course, we didn't pluck that mushroom out the ground for a photo, it had already been ripped off.
There’s something so magical about moss; carpets of other worlds. Lichen has always fascinated me. Upon discovering (in the aforementioned book) that it isn’t one organism but a partnership between fungi and algae, it made me realise just how special it is.
It wouldn’t be a holiday in Scotland without some cold water swims. I grew up with the beach a fifteen minute drive away so swimming and large bodies have water always feel like home.
I’m no expert at wild swimming, but I love it in the warmer months (which to be fair to me, Northern Scotland would never be described as ‘warm’ by lots of people) . Loving wild swimming in the colder months is something I’ll try to learn this coming season. Maybe more of a short dip than a swim, but that’s good enough for a beginner, I should think.
I’m for sure not the only seaweed fan out there but it feels vastly under appreciated. (Don’t you know how much carbon kelp forests store?!) I’m seeing mushrooms plastered over fast fashion products this coming Autumn, and I can’t usually speak on behalf of fungi but I assume in this case they aren’t impressed.
If you share any of these passions or appreciate this selection of images, I’d certainly love to know about it. To many this post may seem like it isn’t about art, and yet it very much is.
Love this post! And especially the colour collections that you have made. That yellow in the first collection is just gorgeous. I also find it very inspiring - now I can’t wait to go to our local forests to go look for moss.
I love all the photos that you shared, it looks an amazing place. I love nature as well, i am always fascinated to see every detail, shapes, textures and colors. Loved to read you!