Gyotaku, and a proposal

[Volitan]

Hi. In the last 18 months I’ve only managed 1 or 2 fishing trips due largely to me ownerbuilding our home. Now I’m taking a short break so  I shouted myself a charter trip out of Terrigal - a specialised kingfish fishing trip . An excellent trip with a great charter skipper - I managed 5 kings from 900 to 1060mm plus one little 670mm model (I know the limit is 5 but there was some c&r).

One of the fish I used for gyotaku - Japanese art of fish printing. Result attached.

Basically, you dry off the fish. Ink it up. Press rice paper over the fish. Peel it off and then touch up with watercolour, sumi ink or whatever else you feel proficient in. the aim with touching up is to round out the fish and make it more lifelike, but still keeping it looking like a manual print, with creases and smudges retained for authenticity.

We think this, with simple frame, would go well in our new home. And maybe we’d like 1 or two others. Fish of different species but complementary in being much the same size.

I don’t catch meter plus fish very often though.

So here’s the proposal. 

If anyone is interested, you could let me know when you catch a large fish (say 1 metre plus) and I’ll do the gyotaku, plus the painting and finishing - one copy for you and one for me.

I would commit to making myself available to do the work ASAP, although naturally I can’t always be available.

Note there are some prerequisites. The fish must be whole, not gutted, with one side without damage from gaff etc. Sharks are not much good because of the stiff pectoral fin. You can eat the fish after (I use edible ink) but be aware the cleaning and printing takes 1 to 2 hours plus travel time so you would have to factor that in when considering if it would be fresh enough. Frozen fish are Ok but they must thaw completely so adding two hours after thawing probably means you shouldn’t eat them. I’m on the Central Coast. I’m really interested in large fish of sporting species - tuna, mahi mahi, jewfish, a big mackerel maybe.

if you are interested, pm me and I’ll give you my phone number. Then if ever you catch a good fish and want a reminder of it you can text me and I’ll make the arrangements. If not, no problem.

cheers

 

[frankS]

Very nice. And a great offer to members , I think all members should at least get your phone number.

How would Squid ink go to do the job ?.

How do you do the eyes ?.

Frank

[Volitan]

I wouldn’t trust squid ink because I think it would fade. 

The eye is just watercolours, using a fine paintbrush.

btw. It’s more normal to add colour to gyotaku. Usually big watercolour washes over the fishes body - in the fish’s natural colours but simplified. I chose to leave this one black and white because it will suit the look of our house.

If you are interested, I have a Pinterest board on good gyotaku : https://pin.it/5hU6LPH

[Rebel]

Great offer. Thank you.

[Volitan]

Fish number two is in. A 106cm mulloway caught by an acquaintance. Eaten after printing, which took two hours. The fins are a bit raggedy but some things you can’t fix.

 

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

14 minutes ago, Volitan said:

Fish number two is in. A 106cm mulloway caught by an acquaintance. Eaten after printing, which took two hours. The fins are a bit raggedy but some things you can’t fix.

 

 

This is beautiful work. Love the Pinterest board thanks 

[bessell1955]

That is indeed taking Art to a different level.

 

[big Neil]

Hi Volitan. Many thanks for your post and introduction to Gyotaku. A very interesting process. I make pottery and use ceramic transfers, formed on rice paper to decorate some of my work. The fish forms depicted in your link, with small fish, would be ideal subject matter for my pots. However to work in my process the "inks" would have to be ceramic underglaze materials. Example of my process using cobalt underglaze colour... bn 

IMG_3494.CR2

[Volitan]

6 hours ago, big Neil said:

Hi Volitan. Many thanks for your post and introduction to Gyotaku. A very interesting process. I make pottery and use ceramic transfers, formed on rice paper to decorate some of my work. The fish forms depicted in your link, with small fish, would be ideal subject matter for my pots. However to work in my process the "inks" would have to be ceramic underglaze materials. Example of my process using cobalt underglaze colour... bn 

IMG_3494.CR2 15.38 MB · 0 downloads

Hi Neil. Interesting you should mention pottery because I was thinking about doing a kind of gyotaku based on pottery. I was thinking to water the clay down and then press it onto the fish. Peel it off when leatherhard, let it dry further and then fire it. Giving me something roughly the form of a fish but with all the scale detail etc. No glaze, just a bisque.

we are building a house and when the foundations were dug they were very deep so I rescued some of the clay that came up. Good clay with few inclusions and no organic matter having been under an old house for decades. I processed into a very nice terracotta and used it to hand form some vases etc but haven’t been able to get anyone to fire them for me. I was hoping to do a raku pit in our back yard but the neighbours are so touchy about smoke and fire - and fair enough we have had a bushfire right down to our boundary in the past. Anyway, that’s what I’m thinking - fish impression from our own wild clay, raku fired. Something good about it being from our own clay, from right under the house, earth to earth.

[Pickles]

very impressive work Volita, if you and Neil collaborated the results would be spectacular.

 

[mrsswordfisherman]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

very impressive work Volita, if you and Neil collaborated the results would be spectacular.

 

That would be really great @Pickles I agree 

[big Neil]

Thanks for your response Volitan. Keep that idea afloat, it has potential. I'll give you my mobile number, maybe you could send me yours. Next time I'm in Sydney we may be able to touch base...maybe you could get your idea to fruition. I could fire the work for you. Bisque fired, unglazed or raku with some glazed areas. Here's an example of partly glazed Raku. The unglazed areas are black from the Carbon in the reduction process. Sending you a PM. bn

[Volitan]

Very nice raku, Neil. Very difficult to achieve too, I understand.