Hi! So you’re here because you either commissioned a custom piece of moss art from Kathleen, or you are getting ready to be part of a workshop to make your very own piece!
There are many natural materials that can be used in your botanical sculpture moss artwork. It’s a great way to embed memories into a piece by collecting materials from a special location that means something to you.
But there are some things you want to watch out for, so I put together a little handy guide for you to reference when you collect your materials.
Different material that can be used:
● Lightweight Sticks, twigs, bark, driftwood, if you have a small artwork commissioned and are not installing it directly into the wall, look for lightweight elements.
● Dried out mushrooms that are hard and sturdy. Elephant ear mushrooms can dry very hard. These are excellent
● Sea/river shells 🐚
● Very Lightweight rocks
● Any other Sturdy materials that will last.
Things to look for:
● Interesting shapes and patterns in sticks and driftwood. Knots are always fun i wood.
● Bendy/curly- Sticks that are very curly or bendy will create interesting bridges over the moss.
Things to watch out for to NOT use:
● Wood that is very rotten
● Weak/fragile/soft
● Mushrooms that aren’t hard. They have to be very hard and strong to be used.
● Anything still lush/alive. I won’t be able to use anything that is green. Remove all leaves. Any vines must be thoroughly dried.
● Poisonous - I’m not allergic to most things like poison ivy but others may be who visit your space/home. We want to avoid even the possibility of a problem.
Proper cleaning/care: After you collect your materials, you want to wash and prepare the materials as well before she collects them for the art or before your workshop event. All wood pieces must be washed of all dirt/debris and clear of all insects and moss. Rinse sticks with regular water to get excess stuff off. Scrub any moss or fungus off the wood. Then pour boiling water over every inch of each piece. The boiling water will make sure all allergens are ineffective and sterilize the piece, making it perfect for a public space. Any hardened mushrooms can be lightly brushed with a sponge to remove dirt. But it is not necessary to rinse with water or scrub.
Under the Commission section of my website, click on the button to download the material collection guide for a Downloadable PDF version.
Enjoy your adventure while you collect! If you are getting ready for a moss art workshop or commission, you can post pics of the neat stuff you collect on social media and tag me so I can see! @kathleenjoy
Happy Hunting!
