AFTCO Bluewater

Building on a partnership that already spans half a decade, famed marine life artist Guy Harvey, together with AFTCO Bluewater, have proudly created a line of coastal lifestyle sportswear, as presented in the following pages of this catalog. Paramount is Guy’s immensely popular and ever expanding T-Shirt line — featuring his amazingly detailed and colorful marine life images — today offered under the Guy Harvey by AFTCO Bluewater label. Also expanded is AFTCO Bluewater’s popular Guy Harvey print line for both men and women, plus additions to the Guy Harvey “embroidery” line of casual wear, including multiple shirt styles, shorts, jackets, fleece, hats, belts and more. All new are stunning beach towels and a line of sportswear for diving enthusiasts.

Widely recognized today as the world’s finest marine wildlife artist, Guy Harvey combines his unique artistic talents with his background as a marine biologist, diver, photographer and angler, to create marine wildlife art with an unmatched authenticity and visual appeal. Self-taught, Guy’s artistic roots can be traced back to his childhood on the Caribbean isle of Jamaica, where he spent many hours fishing and diving with his father along the island’s south coast. Guy’s obsession with the creatures of the sea inspired early drawings of the many different fish he observed. While attending a boarding school in England at an early age, Guy became entranced by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” — and began developing a series of sketches that years later would prove instrumental in helping launch his career as an artist. Though Guy was interested in pursuing his love of marine art, he opted for scientific training and worked hard in pursuit of an education — both in Scotland and back in Jamaica — and a career in marine biology. Along the way, Guy was able to supplement his income by selling his art, and a loyal following led to his first exhibition in 1985 — a one-man art show at a Kingston gallery of his 44 pen-and-ink drawings inspired by “The Old Man and the Sea.” The success of the exhibition encouraged Guy to spend more time painting, and by 1986 his work had spread to Florida through a series of showings at boat shows and fishing tournaments. By 1988, Guy Harvey had become identified as one of the world’s top saltwater gamefish artists, and was experiencing so much success that he gave up his career in marine biology to pursue his hobby full-time. Though recognized most recently for his largest painting to date — a three-story, floor to ceiling mural at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport in Florida — Guy is known best for his dynamic gamefish T-shirt designs. His original paintings have sold for tens of thousands of dollars, and today, reproductions of his art — often seen on magazine and catalog covers — are offered as limited edition prints, and can be found on a wide variety of clothing and gift items. Guy maintains his art studio in Grand Cayman, where he lives with wife Gillian and their two children, Jessica and Alex.

Guy Harvey is a unique blend of artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer, fiercely devoted to his family and his love of the sea. His childhood passion for the ocean and its living creatures not only inspired him to draw, but fueled a burning interest that prompted a formal education in marine science. Having graduated with honors in Marine Biology from Aberdeen University in Scotland in 1977, Guy returned home to Jamaica to resume his education, earning his Ph.D. from the University of the West Indies in 1984. Though he gave up a budding career in marine biology for that of a highly-acclaimed artist, Guy has continued his relentless pursuit to unravel the mysteries of the sea, traveling the world to better understand the habits and habitats of the marine wildlife he paints. Along the way, Guy became an ardent conservationist (see back cover), supporting “catch-and-release” fishing ethics and working closely with many organizations to help manage and protect fishery resources around the world. Guy is an avid scuba diver and over the years has become a skilled underwater photographer and now a cinematographer, even pioneering the techniques used to photograph and film free swimming billfish. From Central and South America to Mexico’s Magdalena Bay, to such far-reaching locales as the Portuguese island of Madeira and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Guy’s personal observations made during his diving expeditions have helped him capture, with his brush, the kind of detail his paintings are famous for. In addition, Guy’s talent as a cinematographer is allowing him to share his observations through the production of educational documentaries — most recently, his new hit television series, as highlighted below.

An avid fisherman since childhood, Guy is a much traveled and accomplished angler who has caught all nine of the world’s billfish species, including the catch-and-release of two “grander” (1,000 pounds-plus) blue marlin in a single day. Formerly Jamaica’s International Gamefish Association (IGFA) representative, Guy has been a member of the IGFA Board of Trustees since 1993. Most recently, Guy collaborated with the IGFA in launching his new fishing television series titled “Guy Harvey’s Portraits From The Deep.” Joined in each weekly episode by top fishermen and expert marine biologists, featured host Guy Harvey travels to different ports of call around the world, where viewers are treated to exciting angling action, breathtaking underwater imagery, and the opportunity to learn more about the state of our marine resources and the challenges facing recreational fishing.

A devoted family man, Guy coaches his son Alex (top), and proudly assists daughter Jessica (below) in admiring one of the 20 IGFA junior world records caught between Alex and Jessica.