Never attended the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach before, a huge convention focused on sports fishing and the outdoors, until this year when I got goaded by my friends to set up a booth. Five intense days of crowds, beer and bravado produced new friendships and some amazing opportunities that easily made it all worth it. We’ll be back again next year for sure!
I had the absolute pleasure of sharing my art in a room (and the back room!) filled with guests celebrating the book launch of Patagonias recent fly fishing book entitled, “Simple Fly Fishing”, which showcases my art on its cover.
The feedback was overwhelming, I got to make many new friends and the doors for further collaborations opened up! Not to mention, I got to meet the founder himself, Yvon Chouinard!! What an honor, especially coming from a company that is adheres to its mission statement in protecting and educating, our natural world that we should all be stewards of.
Four select prints will be participating in a multi-artist gyotaku exhibition in the township of Quiberon, France.
Curator and fellow printing friend Marc Porrini has invited a large selection of gyotaku art and artists from around the globe. The event’s special guest is Master Artist Matsunaga who will be teaching a workshop on how print colors directly resulting in prints that are reminiscent of the colorful works done by indirect printers.
Looking forward to meeting him and learning new techniques.
A few months back, me and my personal favorite Hawaiian gyotaku artist, Desmond Thain got together to do a very special collaboration to celebrate our joy for this art form.
Find it in the gallery store!
I was approached by The Classical Ideas Podcast by Gregory Soden and here is the result!
I absolutely hate hearing my own voice, but the content is great and the introduction by Michael Vanhartingsveldt of LACMA is very informative and flattering.
Check it out on iTunes, episode 92!!
From 2-5pm, faithful patrons of The Joint Eatery in Sherman Oaks filed in to indulge in their favorite dishes and sipping on their choice refreshments. But this time, the walls turned into an art gallery while we were showcased by demonstrating our most fundamental process of gyotaku printing.
Quite a few sales, but more importantly, a lot of new open doors for the new year!
Thank you everyone who attended and for your support and encouragement!!
Setting up at OCMA, my faithful sidekick ever present.
Warmly welcomed by the docents of OCMA (Orange County Museum of Art). It was an honor to speak and demonstrate the old traditional approach to gyotaku. Hopefully, it was a seed planted for a future collaboration!
Taught my first Gyotaku printing class at the annual Nature Printing Society’s workshop, this year at Wildacres in North Carolina. The class was centered around Japanese philosophy, sensibility and defining personal process using the original old world materials of Sumi Ink and Washi Paper.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and found it really encouraging to see veteran and new printers alike working together so enthusiastically (I had them pair up with a partner).
Looking forward to teaching again!
Through my dear friends at Catalina Offshore Products, I was invited to a dinner event at NOAA in San Diego, California to demonstrate traditional gyotaku printing in front of a large crowd of marine scientists, environmentalists, and very eco-savy seafood chefs and commercial fishermen.
I think a very good impression was made as many new doors within the scientific community opened up immediately afterwards. I anticipate that I’ll be commuting to San Diego a lot more often in the very near future!
A much anticipated event where two artists; me and Master Sushi Chef Hiro Terada, were showcased in front of a large crowd of private guests.
I performed a demonstration of gyotaku printing while Chef Terada masterfully cut a striped bass into sashimi. Chef Hiro Terada posted a flattering comment regarding me:
“I was invited to Sushi Chef Institute red carpet last might and met so many important people in the industry, but one person who amazed me was @fishingforgyotaku and his live demonstration of how this mid 19th century art is done. His work needs to be recognized and once you see it, you’ll be amazed.”