Toadstools and Mushrooms

Hello!  Hope you are happy and well!

I have a thing for decorative mushrooms and toadstools... possibly makes me a little bit weird, but I think I can live with that!

I bought three of these mushrooms from a chainsaw carver at a craft fair about 15 years ago.  They were natural, untreated wood - I even watched him carve them! 

When our very cute little would-be guide dog puppy arrived 6 years ago, he thought they had been placed in the garden especially for his own chewing delight.  They suffered greatly, and were moved into the garage.  They almost got thrown away as they had become so ugly, with great chunks missing.

So ugly that I didn't even get a "before" picture!  I didn't think they were really salvageable.

Well, roll on furlough and lockdown (and with a house move looming) I figured some paint might just resurrect them.  It was worth a try - I figured I had nothing to lose but a little paint.

The wood is surprisingly still sound, and I left the bottom part bare wood.  As well as the chewed off chunks, there is a big split in each mushroom.  I don't mind this - it's a reminder that this is a natural product, and if it's a problem, the split could always be put to the back.

I am sorry I didn't get any photos of the process of painting these - but it was pretty simple: I painted a few layers - white, then red, then white spots, then some protective wax.  I think they will have a few more years left in them now - as long as the dog can leave them alone now he's a bit older!