Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and American Pondweed

This piece comprises three different original works  that have been fused together using the ancient methods of Chinese calligraphers. Each work is on a full sheet of ma (hemp) based mulberry paper. The bottom sheet is hand-dyed by the artist using archival fiber dyes. The middle sheet is a full print of a large piece of American Pondweed harvested from Parksville Lake. The top sheet is made of fish rubbings of California brook trout and Tennessee brown trout. After the three works are wet-mounted together, the unity is finished with watercolors and India ink to add the eyes and spotting of the fish.  Compositionally, all the factors compose a beautiful unity: Initially the viewer sees seven fish, each different from the other. All appear to be swimming in different directions, but the curves together form a singular movement to the bottom left. The pondweed amplifies this movement by revealing that the flow of the water is actually from left to right and upward, thus the fish are show