August 2024
Glow at the Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens
These large foam mushrooms brought joy to everyone who passed by them, both in the Gardens during the day and throughout the show at night. I was originally tasked with creating 3 red mushrooms when I was first hired at the Botanic Gardens in August 2024, and they were used that October. Recently, I created 3 more blue mushrooms for this year's show.
I was given square styrofoam blocks which were glued together in the general size that each mushroom was meant to be. I started by carving out the general shape of the mushroom tops and stems with a hot knife, then perfected the shape with various foam carving tools. I spackled and sanded the surfaces to make them smooth, then primed with an outdoor primer. I painted the stems with a cream basecoat and darker detailing, and the tops a solid color with spots. I sealed all elements, and attached the tops to the bases with dowels.
To install the mushrooms outside, I inserted metal poles into the bottom of the stem, which slid into PVC pipes in the ground.