— Español —
In 2013, a guy with a sketch book full of drawings, created an imaginary world where real and fictional sea creatures lived together. He was passionate about all living things underwater since he was a kid as they seemed to be the alter ego of creatures on earth. He noticed then, that there were seahorses as well as normal horses, swordfishes as knights with swords, sea sponges as regular sponges for the kitchen and so on.
With that in mind, his curiosity led him to read more about marine biology and history books, where he found an infinite universe of creatures and mythological beings (specially mermaids). This idea slept in his mind for a very long time, until one day his drawings turned into a formal project. He called it “Hey Mermaid” and it started as a facebook fan page.
After a couple of months, a friend encouraged him to start with a product line, so he began to produce some souvenirs, in order to get some money to support his project.
Things were turning complicated due to work and studies however, he never stopped drawing. At the bottom of every drawing or note, he used to write nos gusta el mar (we love the sea) meaning his creatures and him as well.
Besides this, he was also concerned about sea pollution, and how the engine of his ideas (the sea) was degrading little by little because of excessive amounts of waste material in the water. There was this need to create awareness, and through illustration he found a voice.
Anybody who loves the sea would protect it it, so Nos gusta el mar became his favorite slogan to encourage people to care about the sea. Because of this, the project changed its name to NOS GUSTA EL MAR and later, it became a registered brand in Panama.
Beginning 2016, our dreamer took a leap of faith, quit his job and started to work on the illustrations full time. It’s not been an easy road since then, but his dedication and commitment to this project, encourages him to continue.
Currently he manages his own author line of limited edition products available at some Design and Art Boutiques and in this web site. He also collaborates with brands and private clients by creating visual artworks, and promotes a small campaign called #nosgustaelmarsinplástico (we love the sea without plastic) to create awareness on responsible use of plastic.
This guy we’ve been talking about is José Jiménez Vega a.k.a. Captain, and he continues navigating through imaginary seas, looking for adventures and telling stories through his drawings.
Nos Gusta el Mar 