A prestigious university in Scotland has commissioned an expert artist to paint mushrooms.
The Institute of Medical Sciences at University of Aberdeen asked Peter Thwaites from Dorset to produce three paintings of microfungi to advertise the new mycology centre sponsored by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award for Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology.
“This has proved a unique and fascinating challenge to one more accustomed to seeking fruit bodies on the forest floor than studying intricate microscopic organisms through a lens,” says Peter, a land agent and chartered surveyor by profession.
The three paintings are of:
Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and
Cryptococcus neoformans.
Peter has always used the medium of painting and drawing to record the natural world around him. He is self-taught, having been encouraged by one of the founding members of the Society of Wildlife Artists.
Professor Neil Gow, who commissioned the work, adds: "These pictures were donated to be used to further the work being carried out by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award in Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology."
Image:
Candida Albicans.
www.peterthwaitesfineart.com
