
Deep Hawaii Art: "Calypso" The Day Octopus Gyotaku - Unframed
Artist: Deep Hawaii ArtTitle: "Calypso" The Day Octopus GyotakuMedium: Unframed embellished Gyotaku print -- Prismacolors on cold press fine art paperSize: 20" x 25" Lāna`i artist Kristin Belew painstakingly painted this life-size Gyotaku of an Octopus with acrylics and Prismacolors. . Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese style of fish printing where each original piece of art is taken right from the fish. Kristin applies acrylic paint to the actual octopus then presses rice paper onto the specimen to receive the paint. She then adds in details! Fun facts from Kristin: In Hawaii, Octopus are referred to by their Japanese name which is Tako. The Hawaiian word for octopus is He’e and the species most commonly harvested is the Day octopus (Octopus cyanea.) Although octopus is a very popular and sustainable food source (listed as “a good alternative” under Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Program) for many people living in Hawaii, it is one I choose not to harvest for myself. I absolutel