About the artist and her realistic mushroom sculptures.

Hi, my name is Barbara Cronk and I love mushrooms.    They have captured my attention since I was a very young girl.  I was always fascinated by the beautiful and curious mushrooms I would encounter while walking in the woods, and I was in the woods a lot.
I began making these mushrooms as a child out of salt-flour dough and would give them as gifts to people I knew.  As time went along, others liked them and would ask me to make one for them. I decided to create these mushroom replicas out of something more durable; thus began my working with clay.
The mushrooms are made of potter’s clay and each is hand molded, kiln fired and then painted by hand and glazed.  They can take up to six hours to make and are as unique and individual as the actual mushrooms you would find while walking in the woodland areas of Eastern Canada.
Each mushroom is signed and numbered along with the name of the actual mushroom depicted on the base.   No two are alike and they are all replicated to the size, color and shape of the mushrooms you would find in nature.
I will also take special orders and commissions.  If you have a specific mushroom you’d like me to create for you, please contact me.
I live on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia in Gaetz Brook and I’m an Artist who loves to be near nature where I find great peace and balance.  I have also been a volunteer at the Hope for Wildlife Society in Seaforth, Nova Scotia and loved the experience it brought me working with these magnificent creatures.  It is a wonderful place where orphaned and injured wildlife are treated and released back into the wild. You can check out Hope for Wildlife here to see this wonderful non-profit organization run by Hope Swinimer.
I find expression of nature’s beauty through making these realistic mushroom creations. I hope you enjoy browsing through the website and look forward to any comments or questions you might have.

Recognition

Published in the Southender Magazine – August 2009 Issue.

They feature local artists in the area and selected me as their feature artist for the August 2008 issue of the magazine.

Mural Mosaic – Earth’s Treasure Chest Participant – Panel 194 – Young Bald Eagle Mural Mosiac
I was asked by Mural Mosaic to be a participant along with 140 Canadian Wildlife Artists, including Robert Bateman, to do a panel for this mural project in support of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society which protects wilderness areas and endangered wildlife in Canada. After the project was completed the panels were auctioned and the funds went to this Society.   Barb is an avid believer in this cause and has donated many works to support ongoing efforts to protect, educate and aide wildlife and protect our wilderness areas.

Published in the Parkhurst Exchange Vol 15 – No. 1 – January 2007 This magazine goes out to all Doctors across Canada and they do a feature artist each month. I was selected by Parkhurst Exchange to be the Featured Artist in this issue.

Exhibitions

Carriage House Gallery – Wolfville,

Nova Scotia Duke of Argle Gallery – Halifax,

Nova Scotia Harris & Gallery – Head of Jeddore, Nova Scotia

Panel for the Education Centre at the Hope for Wildlife Society – To depict endangered animals in Nova Scotia such as the Mainland Moose, Pine Martin and the Lynx. This panel is approx 7′ high by 8′ wide and was donated to the Sanctuary for educational purposes.   Barb also volunteers at the Hope for Wildlife Society with hands on experience working with orphaned and injured wildlife.

Panel for Wildlife Sanctuary

Nova Scotia Nature Trust

I exhibited at the beginning of May in aid of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust under the title ‘A Brush with Nature’. This was a great show with many fellow artists in attendance. For the full article written in the Chronicle Herald, please click here.

Galleries, Shops and Craft Fairs

You can find my work at the following Galleries and Shops around Nova Scotia