Mirror Image Fish Printing

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

08/23/2026

Excited to be kicking off show season with the River Street Art Market this Labor Day weekend! See y’all there 😄

Big news! We’re headed to Savannah!

The River Street Art Market kicks off Labor Day Weekend, September 4–7, with additional markets throughout October, November, and December. We can’t wait to bring incredible artists and makers to Savannah’s iconic riverfront!

Learn more and apply through the link below:
www.affps.com/river-street-market