Handmade Fish Impression Art - By Dr. Kathy Townsend

You can own this handmade impression of a sand whiting (Sillago ciliata) which is a coastal marine fish of the family Sillaginidae, the smelt-whitings. It was collected at Polka Point, near Brisbane, Australia. Printed on traditional Shoji paper with non toxic acrylic paints (black, silver, gold, and red) Size 11" x 14" gold frame with glass.

About Kathy Townsend and the technique she uses to make the fish impressions:

History of Island Fish Printing (Gyotaku)

I am a marine scientist in real life, working on big issues such as the human impact on the ocean environment and the conservation of marine species. However, I have had a long-term passion for art, with many of my scientific publications featuring drawings to illustrate concepts, while my underwater photography has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Australian Geographic and Wildlife Australia.

"Island Fish Printing" started as a fun way to record the catch from the annual fishing trips to North West Island in the Great Barrier Reef. Using non-toxic fabric paints and an old bed sheet, the fish from the trip were recorded. After being printed, the fish were washed clean of paint and eaten for dinner that night. Under each fish print, the date, name of the fisherman and a small story was written. At the end of the trip, one of the families were present with the sheet to take home with them. (It is this amazing group of people who encouraged me to take my art further.)

Imagine my delight when I discovered that what I was doing is exactly what the technique was developed for. Known as Gyotaku, it was originally used by Japanese fishermen as a way to take an exact impression of a fish they were particularly proud of. Prior to the development of cameras, early European scientists also used the technique to take exact impressions of plants, which they went on to name and describe. (Many of these early impressions can be seen in the Natural History Museum in London).

After several years of "messing around", my technique improved and I started working with new materials such as shoji paper - a type of traditional Japanese "rice" paper made from mulberry leaves. As a nod to its Japanese heritage, I had a Hanko and an artist chop made (the circle is my name, while the square says "Island Gyotaku"). While as a nod to the European heritage, I had a rubber stamp that records all the details of the fish that was printed, including the species name, date, location and other notes about the fish. To further satisfy my nerdy side, I have a moleskin notebook that I record all the details about the fish and the prints generated from it.

As a marine scientist who lives in an island community, I have access to fish that many do not. I have many colleagues who have been willing to share their fish after they have been collected for research. That, plus living on an island where fishing is the number one hobby, gives me access to a huge range of species. I work very closely with the fishermen and researchers. In a mutually beneficial arrangement, any marine species that I am given is printed at least twice, with the fisherman or researcher getting the first pick of the prints. However, each print is completely unique as a new coat of paint is added and the fish shifts ever so slightly with each print.

It is particularly important to me that no fish were caught specifically to make this art. Instead, each fish was either caught for food or was printed after their use from a scientific study. I consider that each print is a small commemoration to an animal who has provided the ultimate sacrifice.

• Company Name : Island Fish Printing