Inspiration-
Inspired by English author, illustrator, conservationist and mycologist Beatrix Potter. Beloved by generations of readers, she was best known for her children's books, such as "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." Growing up near The Lake District, I enjoyed visiting Potter’s home and fully immersed myself in the world she created in her children's collection. I created this piece as a homage to her scientific inspirations and her love of nature.

Potter had a deep appreciation of nature and her passion for the natural world played a major role in her life and work. She was an advocate for preserving the natural world and her books featured themes of conservation and environmentalism. The title of this artwork creates a dreamlike or fantastical world inspired by Beatrix Potter's stories, with her characters and landscapes reimagined in new and unexpected ways.
Throughout her life, Potter collected and studied mushrooms and made detailed drawings and watercolour paintings of them. She was a member of the British Mycological Society, her illustrations and scientific drawings of mushrooms and other fungi were highly respected by her peers. She was particularly interested in the life cycle of mushrooms and the relationship between the fruiting body and the underground mycelium. Her illustrations and observations were used to support her theories about the life cycle of mushrooms, which were ahead of their time.

Potter's work on mushrooms and other fungi was not widely recognized during her lifetime, but her illustrations and scientific notes have since been rediscovered and are now considered an important contribution to the field of mycology. In addition to her artistic talents, her scientific observations and illustrations are considered valuable contributions to the field of mycology, and have been republished in several books, including "The Journal of Beatrix Potter" and "The Fungi drawings of Beatrix Potter".

Beatrix Potter was deeply connected to the Lake District, an area in northwest England that she loved and spent much of her life. She had a holiday home in the Lake District called Hill Top, which she bought in 1905 and used as a base for her study of the local flora and fauna. The Lake District provided her with a great deal of inspiration for her illustrations and stories. Many of her children's books, such as "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," are set in the area, and her illustrations depict the landscapes, plants and animals of the region.

In addition to her literary works, she was also a keen gardener and farmer, and she used her experience to create a beautiful garden at Hill Top, which is now open to the public. She also purchased additional farms in the area, and became a respected farmer and breeder of Herdwick sheep. Overall, the Lake District and its landscapes, flora and fauna played a big role in her life and work, and her love for the area is evident in her books and illustrations.

Beatrix Potter was a strong-willed and independent woman who lived during a time when women were not encouraged to pursue careers or interests outside of the home. Despite this, she was able to achieve a great deal of success as an author, illustrator, and mycologist. Her children's books were popular and critically acclaimed, and her illustrations and scientific drawings of mushrooms and other fungi were highly respected.

Her books, especially the ones featuring the strong-willed and independent characters like Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, and Jemima Puddle-Duck, can be seen as a representation of feminist ideals and the empowerment of women. Potter was also a strong, determined and independent woman who did not let societal expectations and gender roles hold her back from pursuing her passions. She was able to overcome the obstacles and succeed in a field that was traditionally dominated by men.

Technique-
The Tale Of Beatrix Potter was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture combined with photograms, photographs and illustrations of flora, fauna, animals and insects from my private collection, gathered, pressed and preserved from my childhood garden and using scientific textbooks and Potter's Peter Rabbit collection as reference.