Mushrooms abound at Isaac Walton Park artwalk

Mushrooms and fungus were the theme of the Pop-up Artwalk and Sale Saturday at Isaac Walton Park in Prospect Heights.

Ceramic, metal and wooden mushroom sculptures as well as artwork featuring mushrooms were prevalent at the event, which also featured music and food.

Artist Louis "Chainsaw Louis" Chatroop of Prospect Heights displayed dozens of mushrooms carved from wood. He got his start carving mushrooms after helping cut invasive buckthorn and other trees designated for removal from the natural area surrounding the park.

One by one the number of his carvings grew, and soon, people wanted to buy them.

"I started having them on the front deck of our house and people in the neighborhood would ask, 'are you selling these?,' and I'm like, maybe, yeah, now they're for sale," Chatroop said.