Diversification is as key to Guy Harvey as it is to nature - his abiding inspiration.

The world-renowned wildlife artist, marine conservationist, award-winning broadcaster and entrepreneur, has clearly never been one to rest on his laurels.

Having opened the signature Guy Harvey Gallery and store on George Town's waterfront in early 2007, he has wasted little time extending his impressive inventory.

His follow up edition of Guy Harvey: Portraits from the Deep, due in bookstores July 2008, contains a wealth of new originals and underwater images.

The book captures the essence of Guy's underwater exploits and uncovers the physical and mental make-up of ocean species.

The acclaimed artist of epic marine paintings like The Old Man and the Sea series, is extending his reach to less familiar territory.

His latest artwork includes land-based subjects and depicts a softer hued and less masculine side of Caribbean wildlife.

The Jamaican-born artist and Cayman resident is finding this latest venture absorbing.

"I'm working on a series of paintings and limited edition prints of the region's breathtaking tropical flora and birds," he says.

"Expanding our subject matter has been enormously stimulating for me as an artist and has given me new challenges".

The smaller scale studies and wider subject matter are something of a natural progression.

"We've found that my latest series appeal to a broader cross section of art lovers... the majority, especially visitors, want to walk out with their artwork rather than have us send it overseas," he says.

The originals, and crisp glicee prints, are strikingly realistic. Deftly-drawn hummingbirds and regional flora are also available as framed or unframed collages.

Another limited edition series is monochromatic. The pen and ink originals and prints add a striking contrast to Guy's colourful pieces and mark a return to the artist's early use of the medium.

It, too, focuses on Caribbean birds like the banana quit found in Cayman and the extravagantly-plumed Streamer Tailed hummingbird.

Botanical illustrations include the beautifully lush heliconia and hibiscus and celebrate the wild profusion of flowering plants, particularly in Cayman and Jamaica.

These ventures, novel as they are, don't mean Guy has abandoned his oceanographic roots.

Local nautical charts, available exclusively in Cayman, are another fresh line, yet hark back to his exemplary marine paintings.

The maps from the British Hydrographic Office in London are reproductions that cleverly incorporate the artist's unique remarques or illustrations.

Available with detailed depictions of regional marine life, they can be customised to suit individual tastes.

Other additions to the gallery are Kent Ullberg's bronze sculptures.

A longtime friend and collaborator, the US-based Swede is the only sculptor whose artistry has been recognised by the National Academy in the US.

Best known for large-scale, public monuments, a number of Kent's much-prized mid and small-sized bronzes now retail in Cayman.

Alongside Guy's business empire, part proceeds of which are ploughed into conservation efforts, is the work of the Guy Harvey Research Institute.

Exciting new developments include the discovery of a new species of Hammerhead shark and groundbreaking work in the field of shark forensics.

Affiliated to the Oceanographic Centre of Nova Southeastern University in the US, the institute undertakes pioneering marine research work globally.

Its next Cayman survey is a follow-up to its two-year study on the Southern stingrays of 2003. The three-month long census, in early 2008, is the first systematic assessment of Cayman's stingray population since Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

Found at Stingray City and the Sandbar in North Sound, these graceful creatures only polarise or shoal here in Cayman.

The islands' number one attractions are important both scientifically and because of their significance to local tourism.

Guy's long-held interest in rays, as a researcher, diver and underwater photographer, lends credibility to his support for suggested stingray interaction zones.

"Natural scavengers and normally solitary creatures, Cayman's southern stingrays have modified their behaviour by shoaling as a direct result of prolonged human contact," he suggests.

The marine conservationist says that one of the best ways to interact with stingrays is to step back from the crowd.

"You can generally get good shots using inexpensive underwater disposable cameras in two to three feet of water when the sea state is calm and the visibility is good," he says. "You can have all sorts of fun taking pictures without actually touching or feeding them."

As stingrays are wild creatures, Guy advises taking the following measures when interacting with them:

• Be gentle; people, when overexcited, tend to handle them aggressively.
• Keep your feet on the sand and tread carefully, to avoid stepping on a ray.
• Rays have sharp, backward facing spines along the dorsal ridge; when handling them, work from their heads to their tails.
• Remove your hand before they can latch on when feeding rays; they have small but sharp teeth.
• Young children generally have slow reactions, so should not feed rays. Small, pale fingers look a lot like squid, one of the stingrays' favourite foods.