TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) — Along the shores of Tybee Island, artist Kaylee Hettenbaugh is keeping a centuries-old maritime technique alive, turning the day’s local catch into beautiful works of coastal art.
Practicing gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art of pressing fresh fish directly onto paper, Hettenbaugh bridges the gap between Tybee’s fishing culture and creative expression.
Originating in Japan during the 19th century, gyotaku (“gyo” for fish and “taku” for impression) began as a way to keep records rather than an art form. Japanese fishermen painted non-toxic Sumi ink onto their catches and pressed them onto washi, or rice, paper to log the exact size and species before selling or eating them.
Mirror Image Fish Printing
Mirror Image Fish Printing
Mirror Image Fish Printing
Mirror Image Fish Printing
Mirror Image Fish Printing
Mirror Image Fish Printing
Over decades, these prints became a medium where artists capture minute details, including individual scale patterns, fin structures and textures.
For Hettenbaugh, who grew up in Western New York and learned to fish while visiting family in Gulf Shores, Alabama, gyotaku proved to be the perfect intersection of her lifelong passions.
“It started as an experimentation with my buddies [saying], ‘You need to check out this art form. It’s right up your alley,'” Hettenbaugh told WSAV. “It’s a great way to combine documenting [your] travels and going after different [marine] species.”
From Boat Decks to the Art Studio
Hettenbaugh moved to Georgia to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she studied industrial design. While working on a charter boat off Tybee Island, fellow deckhands introduced her to gyotaku.
Missing the fine art side of her creative upbringing, Hettenbaugh fell in love with the process and chose to stay on Tybee full-time. But it wasn’t always easy explaining her new art passion.
“The easiest way that I’ve been able to get a visual quickly into people’s minds is to say that I use the fish for a stamp,” Hettenbaugh said. “It’s basically stamping a fish and then that kind of translates to the page.”
The process uses speed, knowledge of each specific fish’s body and precision. Before starting, Hettenbaugh prepares her workstation, cuts specialized rice paper and mixes her ink. The fish must be cleaned and prepped before non-toxic Sumi ink is brushed across its scales.
Once prepped, rice paper is carefully pressed onto the fish, capturing an exact replica of the catch. Hettenbaugh then applies watercolor detailing on top of the print, referencing photos taken immediately after the fish was caught to match its true colors.
Because the ink used in the process is safe and water-soluble, it washes off harmlessly without contaminating the catch.
“I do share a lot of my process. It’s all non-toxic ink,” Hettenbaugh said. “When I’m done, I rinse the fish off and filet it up. It’s your real fish and you get to eat it.”
Preserving Memories on the Water
These days, local boat captains and recreational fishermen often bring their catches to Hettenbaugh to be preserved on paper. Charter fishermen call her when they are close to shore, meeting her at the dock to hand off trophy fish. The following day, clients pick up both their custom gyotaku prints and their clean fish fillets.
Her work has connected with a wide range of audiences, from tourists looking for a unique birthday present to seasoned anglers who want to celebrate a memorable day on the water.
“It’s not just looking at the piece of artwork,” Hettenbaugh said. “It’s all the memories of the time on the water that are brought back to those people. I get to be a part of some of the best times of people’s lives and it’s awesome.”
By combining a historical art form with Georgia’s rich marine ecology, Hettenbaugh continues to honor Tybee Island’s local waters, transforming native marine species into lasting works of coastal heritage.
Kaylee’s studio, Mirror Image Fish Printing, is located at 1016 US Highway 80 on Tybee Island. You can also find her at local art markets where she sells her gyotaku prints.
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