www.hawaiianfishprints.com

Gyotaku is the age old art form of applying ink to the side of fish and pressing them with papers to render beautiful printed images.  These valuable prints record the actual size and shape of the specimen fish.  Traditionally rendered in black and white or with very subtle colors, this Oriental art form developed before the invention of the camera.

Nature printing lends itself to many types of surfaces, not just fish, such as corals and shells, octopus, sea fans, crabs and lobsters, tropical flowers and fruits... all make very fine specimens for printmaking.

My work in this field began more than 3 decades ago on the island of Maui. In my early years as a print maker, I learned to work as a traditional gyotaku artist and created prints that represented the actual colors and patterns found in nature.  Over the years, my work has evolved with a more personal approach.

My interest has always been to see beyond the surface of things. In the studio, I began to explore new color palettes, and it became very important for me to move beyond traditional style printmaking and to challenge my abilities as an artist with new techniques and mediums.

Practice and experimentation led to the development of my own unique style of gyotaku and over the course of years I studied with many of Maui's finest teachers and artists, both in classroom settings in and private studios. Bold color, dimension, movement, texture, light, and shadow are the elements that I strive to bring to my gyotaku work.

Acrylics, color pencils, and exotic papers are my regular tools, though I experiment regularly with other mediums. Most of my gyotaku work is done on papers from Thailand, Nepal, and Japan, using mango and banana leaves, bark fibers, and mulberry.

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Carrie Lee Brady

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Hawaiian Fish Prints
www.hawaiianfishprints.com
(m) +1 (808) 264-3962