Hello, I’m Kaylee Hettenbaugh, owner of Mirror Image Fish Printing, an art gallery and studio located on Tybee Island, GA. Here I specialize in the Japanese artform of Gyotaku; aka ‘Fish Printing’. Along with being a passionate artist, I am also an avid fisherman, and SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) alumni. 

Gyotaku originated before cameras as a way for fishermen to record their catch of the day. It begins with laying the fish flat, painting it with ink, placing rice paper or fabric overtop, and then pressing it down. The impression is transferred to the paper, and when it is lifted, the mirror image of the fish is revealed. 

The ink that I choose to use for the printing process is traditional black sumi ink. It is non-toxic, therefore once the fish is rinsed off, it is completely safe to eat or be used as bait. 

Once the printing is complete, I move to the easel and use watercolors to paint in the coloration of the fish, along with any characterizing details such as spots or stripes. 

My goal in the color phase is to take care to paint the fish as accurately as possible to what it looked like when coming out of the water. To preserve the memory of the catch and the full beauty of the fish.