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Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm

Mirror Image Fish Printing

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Tybee Island, GA
Mirror Image Fish Printing

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Gyotaku Fish Printing Hello, I’m Kaylee Hettenbaugh, a local artist and fisherman on Tybee Island, GA.

I am also a graduate of SCAD, (Savannah College of Art and Design). My work is a process called Gyotaku, also known as ‘Fish Printing’. Gyotaku is a Japanese artform that originated before cameras as a way for fishermen to record their catch of the day. It is done by laying the fish flat, painting it with ink, and then pressing rice paper down over the top. The impression is transferred to the paper, and when it is lifted, the mirror image of the fish is revealed. The ink that I choose to use is traditional black sumi ink. It is non-toxic, therefore once the fish is rinsed off, it is completely safe to eat or be used as bait. Once the printing process is done, I use watercolors to paint in the coloration of the fish, along with any characterizing details such as spots or stripes.

10/14/2026

Artist Spotlight | Kaylee Hettenbaugh of Mirror Image Fish Printing

Make plans to visit Kaylee Hettenbaugh at the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival this weekend! 🦪🎨

Saturday & Sunday!

Come experience Kaylee’s original artwork and discover the incredible detail and technical craftsmanship behind her signature Gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art of fish printing, capturing the beauty of the Low Country’s coastal fish and marine life.

Love her work? You can also explore her Mirror Image Fish Printing x Gray’s Reef apparel and performance wear collection, curated through Low Country Grit to connect local artists with causes that make a difference in our coastal community. 💙

✨ See her original art in Bluffton. Explore her collections online!

🎨 Kaylee’s website: https://www.mirrorimagefishprinting.com

🛍️ Shop her Low Country Grit collection: https://lowcountrygrit.com

📍 Festival details: https://www.visitbluffton.org/events/historic-bluffton-arts-seafood-festival-2026

Support local artists. Celebrate our coastal heritage. Keep Lowcountry creativity thriving! 🌊🐟

SPECIAL Thank you to the Great works of:
Bluffton &
Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival

10/10/2026

Yes, it’s real, and yes, it was harvested legally.
The Monday after the 2023 Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival, Rory and I headed to Fort Morgan with one goal in mind: catch a bull red to print. At the time, Alabama regulations allowed anglers to keep one red drum over the slot limit per day. The tides were right, but we were racing the clock to get it done before the fort closed. As we made our way down to the beach, we saw other fishermen hooking up, which gave us a good feeling about our chances.
It didn’t take long before we landed a couple of sail cats and a shark. Then Rory hooked into the fish we had come for. We knew it was a red, and a nice one at that. Measuring over 40 inches, it was exactly what we had hoped for. Since we planned to keep it, I bled the fish to help preserve the fillet quality. With the catch properly cared for, we checked the time and realized we needed to start the hike back to the truck. We made it just in time, bull red in hand, and headed back to the house to prepare for printing.
It was a cool, beautiful evening in Bon Secour. While I gathered my materials, Rory and Julia cleared off the picnic table beside the fire to create my printing station. Julia helped prepare the fish by securing its fins and wiping away the slime, which took what felt like two full rolls of paper towels on a red of that size.
With everything ready, we began the printing process. Julia carefully helped lay the paper over the fish as I worked across its body, gently pressing it into every contour to capture the impressive scales, textures, and natural details.
There couldn’t have been a more beautiful setting to create this piece. Once the printing was finished and the fish was filleted, we gathered around the fire, reflecting on the day’s success and enjoying the evening together.
From the beach to the printing table, this piece holds the story of the entire experience and the time spent with family. That’s one of my favorite things about Gyotaku: the artwork becomes more than an image of a fish. It preserves the memory of a catch, the place it happened, and the people who shared it.

09/06/2026

Day 3 of the River Street Art Market is in full swing!
Here today (9/6) until 8 and tomorrow (9/7) 10-4

08/31/2026

Some pieces are harder to create than others.
As I finished another original from Eli’s Bonnethead and gently pulled the rice paper from the easel, emotion flooded in.
In an instant, I was back at Tybee Marina—the joy on Eli, Erick, and Susan’s faces as they handed me their biggest Bonnethead to date after an incredible morning together on their charter trip.
As a deckhand, I had the joy of sharing many days and great fishing experiences with the Boyer family during their regular trips to Tybee. Later, when I started practicing Gyotaku, they began collecting artwork of the species they had caught.
After learning of their family’s loss of both Eli and then his father Erick to su***de, I couldn’t bring myself to take the remaining raw prints from their tube for a long time.
But eventually, the time came.
And when it did, the painting flowed through me with an ease and clarity I hadn’t expected—as though their spirits were there, gently helping me through it.
As I look at this shark, I don’t just see a fish.
I see that day.
I feel the joy of a family together on the water. I remember the excitement of a great catch and the smiles waiting for me on the dock.
It is an honor to preserve these moments through my artwork—a responsibility, a connection, and a privilege I will never take lightly.

https://www.theeliproject22.com/
Susan Boyer

Address

1016 Highway 80
Tybee Island, GA
31328

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+17166404347

Website

https://www.mirrorimagefishprinting.com/, https://boldjourney.com/kaylee-hettenbaugh-on-life-lessons-legacy-highlight/?f

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