Barometer Earthstar Mushrooms

I’m back after a long hiatus, and plan on making postings of my work in progress more often. Currently I am engraving an end-grain maple block, the subject matter decaying Barometer Earthstar mushrooms seen walking on the Bearskin Trail in northern Wisconsin.

I am planning on presenting this wood engraving when printed in a vertical orientation.

In progress, the final print most likely will be presented in a vertical orientation.

Detail of the mushroom "petals", which open up after a soaking rain, the mushrooms usually look quite plain, and uninteresting.

I’m currently laying a bed of pine needles under the mushrooms and twigs.

Once I engraved the mushroom petals, I am laying in a bed of pine needles.