Gyotaku (fish printing)

[MommaMia]

In an effort to avoid continuing to hijack another thread, I'm going to respond more in depth to Elisa's post here....

http://www.lorihatch.com/natureprints.html

OH, Cindy, you gave me my first laugh of the day!

Your fish prints are GORGEOUS.  But let me be the first to offer my sincere condolences over the death of your beloved  fish.  You (and the Japanese) have found a way to make him (her? how can one tell?) immortal.

Thanks!   It was actually quite heartbreaking to lose this fish.  I had it for over 8 years... acquiring it before my first daughter was even born!  I purchased it for $2 and it was roughly the size of a half dollar piece.  When it died it was 10 1/2" long!  A gorgeous specimen!  It was truly a pet.  Quite dog-like!  It would follow me from one side of the tank to the other, begging for food.  When it really wanted to be fed, it would bang the plastic lid of the tank until I responded to it's less than subtle request of "FEED ME!"

You (and the Japanese) have found a way to make him (her? how can one tell?)
This one was a male.  While some fish are dimorphic (the males and females are easy to tell apart due to obvious differences in things like size, shape, color and finnage, other species are isomorphic, meaning there are no differentiating characteristics between the two sexes and therefore is is extremely difficult to impossible tell the two sexes apart.  Occasionally there is the opportunity to visibly differentiate isomorphic species is that there may be an apparent genital papilla visible only around spawning time.

 However, you need to be careful not to let the news get out about your new art form   :eek:  as the local Pet Stores will soon  be banning you from entering once they realize what a menace you are to the fishbowl population of North Florida..  

Actually this has given me an idea!  I wonder how ammenable my favorite pet haunt would be to giving me those little floaters that they find in the tank?  Something for nothing!  I will also be closely inspecting the fish counter at the local Publix for good specimens to use!

Hmm, let's see--how many dead fish will you need to do the foyer and dining room?  Do you need a new fish for each wall?  Each room?  Will your house smell funny after you are all through smashing paint-covered fish against the walls?  (Enquiring minds want to know)   :J  (Is there some special  embalming treatment you give them after their demise  which makes them give good prints?)    

Now you are just being silly!!  I wasn't intending to use the fish to actually print on the walls!!!  I was using the prints that I made as a basis for my design plan.  I am going to take the wall color scheme from the colors I used in making the prints.  But once again you have given me an idea!  I now know that I want to print (using only black ink) some fish onto some silk fabric.  Then I am going to try out a batik process with the printed fabric to be used to make some throw pillows and possibly even some sheer curtain panels!  


As for the embalming method.... technically you don't embalm.  You do need to prepare the fish though.  All you need to do is to have a reasonably fresh fish.  First thing that needs to be done is to remove the protective slime coat from the fish.  Easily done by wiping it down with lem juice and a paper towel.  Removal of the eye is best.  It can be painted in by hand later. If the fish has been gutted, the belly cavity needs to be stuffed with tissue to fill it out.  The fins can be pinned into position for a pleasing look.  Then the fish must be completely dry.  Not dried all the way through.  Just dry to the touch.  Let sit on counter for a couple hours (away from family members of the curious feline persuasion) and you are ready to roll!  One fish can be used to make dozens of prints... each one coming out a little different.  If you practice, it's amazing the details you can get!  I did notice that while the print was wet, it did have a little of a sushi smell, but that disappeared as soon as the print was thoroughly dried.

Now I need to get out to pick up some paint samples for the walls and to the craft store for batiking supplies

[NightOwl]

Thanks, Cindy!  Actually, I had seen some nice examples of Gyotaku  in a gallery when we were in Japan and an artist friend here had made some fish  prints a few years ago, but it had slipped my mind.  I'm grateful to be reminded of it again--it IS a fascinating artform and provides just about endless possibilities for someone with your creative energy.

I looked  Gyotaku up on google earlier today and had quite a good time checking out the many impressive sites it led me to.   I'd love to try it some time myself.

Our fish (guppies with neon stripes) are too small (and too alive) to use for Gyotaku but since the cats have lately dragged in some mouse corpses as gifts for us, I am considering whether mice might be used to make prints.  Hmmm, wonder what the Japanese word for mouse is.  

PS--LOVE the idea of the batik print pillows!

[MommaMia]

Thanks, Cindy!  Actually, I had seen some nice examples of Gyotaku  in a gallery when we were in Japan and an artist friend here had made some fish  prints a few years ago, but it had slipped my mind.  I'm grateful to be reminded of it again--it IS a fascinating artform and provides just about endless possibilities for someone with your creative energy.

I looked  Gyotaku up on google earlier today and had quite a good time checking out the many impressive sites it led me to.   I'd love to try it some time myself.

Our fish (guppies with neon stripes) are too small (and too alive) to use for Gyotaku but since the cats have lately dragged in some mouse corpses as gifts for us, I am considering whether mice might be used to make prints.  Hmmm, wonder what the Japanese word for mouse is.  

PS--LOVE the idea of the batik print pillows!

At a translation site I asked for a translation of mouse.  This is what turned out...


English - Japanese
field mouse- nonezumi  
micromouse- maikuromausu  
mouse nezumi,- mausu, hatsukanezumi  
mouse unit- mausuyunitto  
mousetrap- nezumitori  
nude mouse- nu-domausu  
super mouse- su-pa-mausu  


Nude mouse?!?!?  What's up with that?

[birol]

So, let me get this straight, you actually paint actual dead fish and make prints


 :eek:  :eek:  :eek:

[MommaMia]

So, let me get this straight, you actually paint actual dead fish and make prints


 :eek:  :eek:  :eek:

Yup..... boy you ARE smart!!!!

[birol]

EEewwwww, I would never be able to do that. When I had to dispose of our bird when it died, I had extreme difficulties.

Is this something you can make money with ? The printings look actually very nice !

Yup..... boy you ARE smart!!!!

[MommaMia]

EEewwwww, I would never be able to do that. When I had to dispose of our bird when it died, I had extreme difficulties.

Is this something you can make money with ? The printings look actually very nice !

My pics of the green sevrum were some of the very few attempts I have made.

This woman has done many many... and look at the prices she sells for!
http://www.lorihatch.com/natureprints.html

Not outrageously expensive but if you have to right venue to sell them, I can imagine you would have a nice tidy little some with not a lot of overhead expense!

[NightOwl]

Is this something you can make money with ? The printings look actually very nice !

Birol, go to the site Cindy linked and you can see  how beautiful the finished products are.  (I think hers are just as wonderful)   And yes, people sell them and make money on them.  but even if Cindy never sells any of her fish prints, she will SAVE a lot of money by using them in her home as a motif for  wall decor.  I have a friend in Ann Arbor whose profession is decorative and faux finish painting and she makes VERY good money creating these special finishes for homes and offices.