Fish eyes/Gyotaku

Gyotaku (Japanese 魚拓, from gyo "fish" + taku "rubbing") is the traditional method of Japanese fish printing, dating from the mid-1800s. This form of nature printing may have been used by fishermen to record their catches, but has also become an artform on its own.

So, this is a work in progress. I wanted to share with you what I have done so far with the fish my husband caught a couple weeks ago!!

So this is what I started with:

 One big salmon. We live just three houses and a road away from the Santiam River. You can catch Salmon and Steelhead there!!! YUM!!

 Can you believe my husband let me put paint on the fish!!!! (actually, he was gone for the evening-shhh) I washed it off well when I was done :^) Here's the fish ready for painting!

I put foam pieces down, then covered them with plastic.

Lots of sponge brushes

And my fabric paint

Pins to open the fins up with, that 's why I need the foam underneath. And the cotton swabs to wipe away the paint from the eyeball!!

I painted the entire fish and then laid the fabric on top of it and rubbed the cloth to get as much paint and texture from the fish as possible. I kind of made a mess and the painting is a bit sloppy, I have much practicing to do. This large of a fish was difficult to work with!!!

Then I painted the eyes in. I started with a silver color

I added a smaller dot of gold

Then added the black,

and a little dot of white. I also outlined the eyes lightly with a black  micron pen

And done!!
My husband was a little freaked out by the eyes because they look so real and look 3 dimensional. He said they look like glass eyes. But, of course, they are not. They are just flat and painted on!!!

Now I am drawing out a design. This will become a larger wall quilt with lots of machine quilting!! At least that is the plan. More later :)

Take care everyone, Happy Quilting and keep those scissors sharp!!! Martha