Scallop Shell Gyotaku Print Mini

Scallop Shell Gyotaku Print MiniScallop shells have been used so much in art and design they really are very pleasing. They are particularly tied to the Island of Anglesey as they have their own biscuit here. The Aberffraw biscuit is made by pressing biscuit dough into the shell to give it a distinctive shell shape. Printing requires pushing the paper into the grooves and it's difficult to achieve a great print. This very small print is taken from a shell that was donated to me by a

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Jane Evans' gyotaku octopus prints reveal intricate details and textures of the octopus

I always wonder if it is just people liking the image

The following day I use the traditional Japanese technique of Uruachi to make the print flat enough to be put into a frame

all 5 are taken from original Gyotaku Prints

I've printed this on an A5 sheet of Chinese calligraphy paper using an acrylic ink

so now needs to be flattened to make it suitable for framing

Perhaps one of the most fiddly little things I've ever worked with is this lovely little prawn

It's hard sometimes to make people understand exactly what the Gyotaku process involves

This A4 print is on Thai Mulberry paper and has been mounted using the authentic Japanese wet mounting technique which uses a simple flour and water paste and requires a period of around 24 hours to dry and stretch

When the print is made

firmly onto the back of the print