Count the magpies, the old rhyme says, and one alone is a bad omen. This mushroom carries the same warning in its shaggy black-and-white stripes, and like its namesake it's usually found on its own. Spotting two or more together is a rare bit of luck.
The Magpie Inkcap belongs to the inkcap family, mushrooms whose caps dissolve into black liquid and were once gathered to make writing ink. As an artist who works in ink every day, that makes this one feel like a kindred spirit. Here it sits nestled in a bed of colourful leaf litter, its stripes standing out against the warm autumn tones. I love how unusual its markings are and wanted to bring a little bit of mystery to the last of the 3 mushroom studies.
Drawn in ink and watercolour, with loose linework and watercolour left to bleed and pool. It's the final piece in my mushroom series, alongside Foraging for Mushrooms and Where the Toadstool Grows.
Print details:
Available as an A4 print, £20 (+ £5 shipping)
Printed in-house on high quality archival paper
Part of a limited mushroom study series alongside "Foraging for Mushrooms"
Size: A4 (21 × 29.7cm)
Giclée print on heavyweight archival paper
Reproduced from an original ink, watercolour and coloured pencil illustration
Unframed — fits a standard A4 frame
Signed by the artist
©2026 Hannah Forde. All rights reserved
£25 £20 (Marketplace price £25 — buying direct from artists helps support them and saves you money ❤️)
Count the magpies, the old rhyme says, and one alone is a bad omen. This mushroom carries the same warning in its shaggy black-and-white stripes, and like its namesake it's usually found on its own. Spotting two or more together is a rare bit of luck.
The Magpie Inkcap belongs to the inkcap family, mushrooms whose caps dissolve into black liquid and were once gathered to make writing ink. As an artist who works in ink every day, that makes this one feel like a kindred spirit. Here it sits nestled in a bed of colourful leaf litter, its stripes standing out against the warm autumn tones. I love how unusual its markings are and wanted to bring a little bit of mystery to the last of the 3 mushroom studies.
Drawn in ink and watercolour, with loose linework and watercolour left to bleed and pool. It's the final piece in my mushroom series, alongside Foraging for Mushrooms and Where the Toadstool Grows.
Print details:
Available as an A4 print, £20 (+ £5 shipping)
Printed in-house on high quality archival paper
Part of a limited mushroom study series alongside "Foraging for Mushrooms"
Size: A4 (21 × 29.7cm)
Giclée print on heavyweight archival paper
Reproduced from an original ink, watercolour and coloured pencil illustration
Unframed — fits a standard A4 frame
Signed by the artist
©2026 Hannah Forde. All rights reserved
£25 £20 (Marketplace price £25 — buying direct from artists helps support them and saves you money ❤️)
Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5
