From the water to the paper then the plate.

The excitement of creating this traditional Japanese art. GYOTAKU

The process takes me from 1st the thrill and pleasure of catching the fish, 2nd prepping and printing the inked fish onto the paper and 3rd and final enjoying the rewards in the end as a fine meal as I overlook my new work of art.

Printing from Nature

The process involved with Gyotaku.

First I start by inking the freshly caught fish with a nontoxic, water-soluble ink, then the Japanese paper is placed over the fish and is hand-rubbed. After removal of the paper and the ink is dried, the eye and details are hand-painted bringing the gyotaku to life. Finally my hanko (signature in Japanese) is added to complete the artwork.

Each print is a one-of-a-kind-original.

All art work on this site is for sale.

You can purchase the original gyotaku or one of the giclee archival prints.

Please contact me for any information concerning a specific gyotaku you would like to purchase or any other questions you have about my artwork. kirby@freshcatchgyotaku.com

GYOTAKU
gyo (fish) taku (rubbing)

The traditional method of Japanese fish printing, dating from the mid 1800s.