We were lucky to catch up with Kaylee Hettenbaugh recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kaylee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Coming to the decision to attend art school was the first step in my journey to a professional art career. When I was accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design, I’d originally planned to go into industrial design, but the opportunity to spend so much time on the coast inspired me to use what I’d learned to practice a lesser-known art form that had fascinated me for years. Gyotaku fish printing began in Japan in the mid-1800s as a way to preserve the memory of particularly impressive catches, while still allowing the fish to be used for food. When I got a job as the first mate on a fishing boat, I found myself awash in potential fish on which to practice Gyotaku. To my surprise, interest grew with every art show and fishing trip, so much so that I was recently able to open my own studio and gallery. I’m delighted with every opportunity that I have to use Gyotaku to help visitors to Tybee Island take home a memory of a beautiful day on the water.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As a lifelong lover of the outdoors, I have always been struck by the beauty of nature. When I came to Savannah to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, I was able to take advantage of the plentiful fishing on the Atlantic coast, which eventually led to a job on a charter boat. Through connections in the fishing community, I was then introduced to the Japanese art form of gyotaku fish printing, and was able to pair my artistic ability with my love of fishing to create artwork that illustrates the beauty and variety of the underwater world and, through my commission work, I’m able to help to capture other people’s fish stories, and be a part of immortalizing their memories of their days on the water.

My work is a process called Gyotaku, also known as ‘Fish Printing’. It is a Japanese artform that originated before cameras as a way for fishermen to record their catch of the day. I start by 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 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 process is done, I use watercolors to paint in the coloration of the fish, along with any characterizing details such as spots or stripes. Though Gyotaku is having a resurgence in popularity as an artform, when I started, I focused on the more traditional artists in the field in order to learn and to enhance my own personal style. In using ink first, followed by watercolors, I can pay tribute to tradition while adding the contemporary flair of realism, marrying the old with the new.
I am fortunate in having recently found a new home for my business that will act as both a studio and a gallery, located on the north end of Tybee Island, Georgia.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Artwork Archive has been invaluable in helping to organize my work in both the artistic and business sense.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Living on a small, tourist-cetric island, and working closely with a local fishing charter has given me the opportunity to help visitors remember an amazing catch without having to worry about the potential problems of trying to ship a fish back home! Be it commissions or walk-in purchases, the delight on patrons’ faces reflects the joy that I get from every print that I’ve done.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mirrorimagefishprinting.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorimage_fishprinting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirrorimage.fishprinting/

Image Credits

Wen McNally & Josh Stewart