#Printmaking fish designs for students for free#

The ocean was a bit choppy and not the best for free diving. The morning of the event we had planned to go diving for the fish we were going to use, however a large North swell was hitting the East coast of the Big Island making for rough conditions. And I think they almost had as much fun helping us wash, scale and clean the fish, than they did making Gyotaku prints! The kids understood that we needed to use non-toxic paint so it would be safe to eat when we were finished.

#Printmaking fish designs for students how to#

We taught the Keiki how to gently rub lemon on the fish to get the slime off and to wipe it with a cloth or paper towel before adding any paint. The moment we unwrapped the fish, they were poking and prodding and asking a bunch of questions. I couldn't believe the amount of engagement the kids had from start to finish. We want to help our Keiki find beauty in nature and we hope this will lead them to being interested in better protecting our Earth and cherishing the life above and below the Oceans.Ī few weeks before our event we did a practice run with our Keiki. Our goal for this event was to teach our Keiki how to work with different art mediums and paint using special Japanese Sumi Ink + traditional rice paper, in a relaxed and friendly environment. Gyotaku is a beautiful, fun and unique way to enjoy your catch before later cooking it to feed your ohana. For us, we couldn’t think of a better way to mix art and nature to get kids excited about fish! Growing up in Hawaii, many people are familiar with the term and art form. The literal translation of the word is 'fish stone rubbing'. Gyotaku is a method of printmaking that traditionally utilizes fish, sea creatures or similar subjects as printing plates in its process. This form of nature printing, was used by fishermen to record their catches, but has also become an art form of its own. Gyotaku, Japanese from gyo (fish) and taku (stone impression), is the traditional Japanese method of printing fish, a practice which dates back to the mid 1800s. It’s been over a month since our Gyotaku Event in Hilo and we finally sat down for a minute to reflect on what a huge success it was!