About Us
About the Artists
Amber enjoys painting and illustrating marine and terrestrial wildlife and is heavily influenced by the tropical environment in Florida. She is drawn to the bright, vibrant colors and transparent elements that exist in Florida's setting. Amber's passion to study marine life is not only to enhance her artwork but also to inspire her two young boys to have a love for coastal conservation. Amber’s trademark style combines watercolor and illustration by extending her artwork onto the mat using black ink, creating a “window” of color. By using the combination of paint splatters and drips she portrays the environment while expertly and realistically capturing wildlife.
Amber is involved with several organizations including The Martin County Artificial Reef Fund, Martin County's lionfish program, Sea-life Habitat Improvement Project, Inc., Coastal Conservation, 4RShores and the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals. Amber has also been named the 2015 BILLFISH Foundation Artist of the Year and for two years in a row she is the featured artist for the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic in Destin, FL. In 2017 Amber became the second artist to sign a multi-year deal with Beall's Department Store through their Art & Sol line.
Brocq Maxey has spent his entire life in, on, and around the ocean. Growing up on an island in The Bahamas he has a unique understanding of the sea and its predators. Upon graduating from The Lawrenceville School, he immediately moved to South Africa where he currently lives and is part owner of a unique dive company focused on changing people’s perspectives of sharks. He has spent the last 10 years involved in various oceanographic and marine research projects, including shark research in The Bahamas and South Africa. His passion for sharing his experiences underwater is prevalent in his photography and cinematography. Through time spent around and amongst top apex predators, Brocq’s experience has given him the unique ability to read and gain understanding of how to interact with sharks. He has been with the Sharkexplorer team since the beginning and looks forward to building on what has been an amazing ride thus far.
At a young age Jim became obsessed with learning everything he could about the ocean and the amazing creatures that called it home. Jim fished commercially to help pay his way through college at the University of Miami where he earned a degree in Marine Biology. He also spearheaded getting Florida's first mangrove protection ordinance passed in 1981. He is also one of the original members of the Palm Beach County Artificial Reef Committee which was formed in 1985 and on which he still serves.
Jim’s love for the ocean and wildlife has steered him to hobbies including knife-making, scrimshawing and most recently drawing. In 2000, Jim began crafting detailed pencil drawings of fish and wildlife. He has created pieces for the West Palm Beach Fishing Club's KDW Classic and Silver Sailfish Derby and the Florida State Taxidermy Association. In 2014 Jim received the West Palm Beach Fishing Club's Lifetime Achievement Award for his "exceptional commitment to sportfishing and conservation." He is only the fourth person ever to receive this prestigious award.
About the Company
What do you get when two Florida natives, one a firefighter/paramedic, the other an environmental consultant, try their hand in the retail world? H2Overboard. When we were first forming we came up with about 100 potential names for the company, but couldn't decide on one we really liked. Then after one final brainstorming session (with some help from family, ahem, thanks Mom) we had our AHA moment and H2Overboard was born.
The company focuses on both our love of the ocean and our desire to promote the great artwork being created by our friends and family (see above About the Artists). To that end, we donate a portion of proceeds from an ever-growing number of our products to a variety of non-profit organizations that work to improve the state of the marine environment. If you know of an organization that would benefit from such a partnership, please contact us at h2overboardinfo@gmail.com.
Thank you for your interest in our company.