Sphagnum cuspidatum
Feathery bog moss
Morna Henderson
Watercolour
Artwork size in cm, 26 x 36
£1000.00
I live in the west of Scotland where moss of all types is a constant presence. Sphagnum moss is a very ancient crop which has been foraged and industrially cropped as far back as the Bronze Age, both as the moss itself and the peat into which it decays. The peat was used as fuel and in horticulture, the moss for its antibiotic and wound healing properties in both world wars.
The individual stems are weak but, held together in very large clumps, they are self-supporting. They hold large quantities of water and can carry the water they need into drier ares where they spread vegetatively and through spore dispersal. They have no roots – the stems decay below ground in anaerobic conditions forming peat which may be many metres deep.
I have chosen to illustrate both the upper growth and the decay towards peat which is also a major part of the plant biomass. In order to show the individual form of the upper stems I have separated them but also illustrated the nature of a clump by painting the front stems and drawing in graphite others behind.
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Please note: Paintings will be on display at the V&A Dundee until the end of July, so a pickup after that date can be arranged.
