"Printing with Ocean Life" is a workshop is based on Gyotaku, which is the traditional Japanese method of printing fish that started almost 200 years ago. In the beginning, it was used by fishermen to record their catches, but since then it has become an art form. The gyotaku method of printmaking uses fish, sea creatures, or sea weed, and often uses squid ink since it is foodsafe. This original form of gyotaku, as a recording method for fisherman, is still utilized today, and is still an excellent way of recording catches (and settling friendly fishing competitions!). Even with cameras as they are today, taking a direct imprint gives a special kind of information. It can't be manipulated or misinterpreted, and these prints have been abe to document changes in the fish over these 200 years or so.
Since this workshop had to be moved online, so not everyone had a fish but you can absolutely do this type of printing with any materials, including leaves, lace, and other household items with texture. I bought a fish at the steveston fisher wharf and made over 10 prints with it, but most participants found materials at their favorite local park. We learned about lots of really beautiful and interesting places around Richmond where everyone collected their materials. Some favorites were the Nature Park, Terra Nova, and Garry Point.
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