Lovely gallery! Our family loved the unique art. Kind owners who are also gifted artists. Highly…read morerecommend.

Jim Mazzotta's phenomenal works of art, appearing on T-shirts featuring lyrics to Jimmy Buffett…read moresongs, were my gateway drug into all things Buffett, Pirate, Parrot, and what later became the Margaritaville scene. I fell in love with Caribbean Soul shirts with Jim Mazzotta's designs in the early 80s. I first found them while on a summer vacation to the Outer Banks. I couldn't wait to wear them back in Indiana, especially to school, knowing how great they were, and I'd be the only one wearing them. I vividly remember when school started that Fall, one of the girls I had a crush on yelled my name down the hall and asked, "Where did you get that Jimmy Buffett shirt!?" All eyes turned, and I received those "cool shirt" accolades I had hoped for. Truth be told, until she asked me that, I had no idea who Jimmy Buffett was. I just loved the artwork on the T-shirts. Full disclosure, the "street cred" from the shirt gave me the confidence I needed to ask her out, and we dated that year. From then on, every family vacation, my cousins and I searched for more Caribbean Soul shirts to show off back home. While sorting through keepsakes and waxing nostalgic last spring, I found a few surviving T-shirts. I wore them during this summer's vacation, 40 years later. They're worn and a bit too small, because I'm now a bit too large, but the graphics are still amazing! As usual, I received several compliments about the shirts and artwork on them. I began searching online for the actual artist of these fantastic designs. Who was the artist that created the ocean and island life scenes of pirates, ships, parrots, lizards, and lovers? "Caribbean Soul" searches were somewhat fruitless as that brand name is used by many businesses now, and the original clothing brand hasn't been around for over 20 years. After many unsuccessful searches, I finally found an old online blog that referenced "the two Jimmy's shirts," as Jim Mazzotta's art and Jimmy Buffett's lyrics. I finally had a name! That led me to an art gallery website, which led me to Jim Mazzotta's Instagram page, and then to his own art gallery's website. The results of my searches proved far more magical than I had imagined. Jim Mazzotta and his wife, Kathleen, continue to create incredible works of art which are on display in their Jungle Drums Art Gallery on Captiva Island, and on Jim's Instagram page. I sent an email to the gallery explaining some of the above and asked about purchasing items my wife and I found on the website. Much to my surprise, and excitement, I received a response from Jim himself, saying he was glad I found him. I ordered Jim Mazzotta's book, "Illustrated Escapes, a Visual Journey," which includes terrific stories of his start as a young artist, how he became captivated with coastal and island life, and the story behind those first designs and concepts he and an entrepreneurial T-shirt friend created and pitched to Jimmy Buffett. It's all there, the beginning of the pulp culture style we all fondly know. The pages are full of vibrant photos of Jim's art of that era; thrillingly including many I had never seen. Jim has not only created artwork for many newspapers and Jimmy Buffett merchandise, but also for Disney and Universal Studios. The fact that what started as a search for my all-time favorite T-shirts led to enjoyable correspondence with Jim himself, and a fun conversation with Kathleen while ordering the book, all adds to the adventure. My wife and I have ordered and received some of Jim's works on canvas, already plan on ordering more, and have made the resolution to get down to Captiva Island and visit the gallery someday. Furthermore, Jim turned me on to Good Life Apparel (goodlifeshirts.com) where shirts with Jim's designs are still available! I've already ordered several, and these new shirts are outstanding. If you're looking for an entertaining cruise down tropical memory lane, then get Jim's book, "Illustrated Escapes, a Visual Journey," check out Jim's Instagram page, and the Jungle Drums Art Gallery's website! #JungleDrumsArtGallery #jungledrumsgallery #jamesmazzotta #jimmazzotta #illustratedescapes