When recounting that one time they went fishing and reeled in a “big one,” people are often accused of exaggerating the size of their catch.  South Shore residents who want to prove that their fish stories are true need look no further than artisan Jenna Reedy of Norwell.

For the past eight years, Reedy has been immortalizing fish and other sea creatures through the Japanese art of gyotaku, a method of printing that dates back to the mid-1800s.  Gyotaku loosely translates to “fish rubbing,” a practice in which the fish act as printing plates.  Japanese fishermen once employed the technique to record their catches and legend has it that Samurai used it to settle their fishing competitions.  

While early practitioners strictly utilized sumi ink and washi paper to make their prints, gyotaku has since become an art form all of its own and artisans like Reedy have begun innovating with many different types of materials and methods.

“The basics of the technique remain consistent. Each piece starts with applying paint to a fish. The artist then rubs a cloth or paper over the fish to create a direct print,” says Reedy. “But in every new series I experiment with colors, paper, textiles, mediums and framing. My style is the gray area between abstract and real.”

Reedy works out of a basement studio in her Norwell home where clients can meet her by appointment.

“About 60 percent of my business is custom orders,” says Reedy.  “Lots of people bring me tuna tails in the fall. Since it usually takes a group of people to reel in such a big fish, they often ask for multiple prints of the tail - one for each of the fishermen.”