The Pignut:
To find a Pignut, first you need to identify this beautiful small Apiaceae*, with its delicate stem, fine divided leaves –two different kinds, depending on its stage of growth–, and umbels of tiny white flowers. *Taking care, always, to safely identify members of this family, with knowledge of its few highly toxic members.
But finding these flowers in meadowy forest clearings is actually just the beginning of the treasure map. Next, you need to follow the delicate stem into the soil, digging carefully and patiently around it until you find ✨a pignut✨ a small tuber storing energy for this plant for up to 4 years until it’s ready to flower and seed and pignut again… if youre lucky, you’ll find one big enough for a small snack ~ the earth brushes off, and skin peals away to reveal a tasty morsel, flavoured somewhere between a carrot and a hazelnut.
It feels an immense honour to find and eat a pignut, and I wanted to create a print that illustrated the experience. I carved it at life size, taking care to describe each tiny botanical feature, and I wanted to depict the soil as part of the story too, glimpsing below the gold-inked earth to reveal the treasures buried there…
The Print:
A delicate and detailed life-size carving of the Pignut Conopodium majus, sketched from life and carved on reclaimed lino, then printed in green and metallic gold linseed oil ink on handmade lokta paper (approx 25 × 40cm).
These are printed in incredibly small quantities or made to order, so there may be a wait of a week or two to receive your print ~ if you like, you can send me a wee message if this order is a gift and you’ve a date in mind that you need it by.
The Pignut:
To find a Pignut, first you need to identify this beautiful small Apiaceae*, with its delicate stem, fine divided leaves –two different kinds, depending on its stage of growth–, and umbels of tiny white flowers. *Taking care, always, to safely identify members of this family, with knowledge of its few highly toxic members.
But finding these flowers in meadowy forest clearings is actually just the beginning of the treasure map. Next, you need to follow the delicate stem into the soil, digging carefully and patiently around it until you find ✨a pignut✨ a small tuber storing energy for this plant for up to 4 years until it’s ready to flower and seed and pignut again… if youre lucky, you’ll find one big enough for a small snack ~ the earth brushes off, and skin peals away to reveal a tasty morsel, flavoured somewhere between a carrot and a hazelnut.
It feels an immense honour to find and eat a pignut, and I wanted to create a print that illustrated the experience. I carved it at life size, taking care to describe each tiny botanical feature, and I wanted to depict the soil as part of the story too, glimpsing below the gold-inked earth to reveal the treasures buried there…
The Print:
A delicate and detailed life-size carving of the Pignut Conopodium majus, sketched from life and carved on reclaimed lino, then printed in green and metallic gold linseed oil ink on handmade lokta paper (approx 25 × 40cm).
These are printed in incredibly small quantities or made to order, so there may be a wait of a week or two to receive your print ~ if you like, you can send me a wee message if this order is a gift and you’ve a date in mind that you need it by.
