What happens when you have a skate, some ink and some mulberry paper?
You have a skating party!
Sorry for the lines crossing this image. Its the grouting on the floor tiles and the mulberry paper is quite thin. Most papers that I use are tissue like and translucent which make them very suitable for gyotaku as they mold around the body of the fish much more easily.
With these initial prints, I'm working out composition to find the best placement for the different fish shapes. These are like printer's proofs in a way, as they give me room to adjust ink amounts and paper used to help obtain a better print. First time is rarely a keeper with gyotaku, so the benefits of a 70 foot roll of mulberry or rice paper are much appreciated. I also use newsprint or old newspapers to take initial prints to see how they'll turn out.
Earlier this year, I found some Mermaid or Devil's purses on the beach and sketched them. These egg cases belong to this creature or a similar version of it. I'm not sure of the exact species of this skate and there are so many types. I know that smooth, thorny and barndoor skate are all caught off Newfoundland.
10 comments:
Love the title - skating party indeed! :-) A 70 foot roll sounds very useful. I love the look of skate fish. Your prints are showing the details well. The first time I encountered skate was back in the mid-80s. My husband and I were having dinner in a fish and chips place in a small coastal village in the south of England. My in-laws ordered skate fish and I was captivated by what was served up on their plates! Oh the ignorance of the inland dweller! :-)
Clever play on words and a great idea for a title.:) I like the way the skate printed. Is it possible to print the purses as well?
oh that print looks great :) I love the shape that the skate left behind
Too bad for me I didn't see this post before going fishing yesterday: all I caught were skates, but I threw them back, not realizing beautiful art could be made from them.
I admire your ability to see the beauty and art in things I have overlooked! These prints are gorgeous.
Teresa, skate are fabulous fish. Its funny how we are almost conditioned to rely on just a few of the many fish that are available to eat and never try the rest.
They have an almost prehistoric look to them Jennifer.
Thanks Skizo.
Oh Laura, and I have to fight to hold of a skate here! A close up view of something we seldom consider can become a thing of beauty. It always amazes me and I see something new in each piece I print.
Billie, I don't know if I could print the egg cases. They're quite rounded with little texture so I don't know if they'd just be blobs of ink on the paper or not. It may be worth experimenting.
top print is beautiful jeanette ..skating party :)
Thanks Jane. I quite like the 'fossil-like' prints with no additions. In some species their simplicity is striking.
Beautiful, Jeanette! I have missed my favorite blogs for a bit--I'd been too busy to check in on them, and look what I've missed--these are awesome!
That single image is absolutely gorgeous! You really make me look at fish and other sea creatures in a whole new way!
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