Sweetwater Illustration is run by Eli (néx Karin) Gafvelin and specializes in maritime illustrations.

Eli Gafvelin, born in 1986 and based out of Stockholm, Sweden is an illustrator and comic artist specializing in illustrations with maritime themes.

Using over a decade of experience from working on tall ships, as well as an education in traditional boatbuilding, they create art and illustrations that is both beautiful and factually correct.

Eli’s illustrations have been featured in WoodenBoat Magazine, publications by the Vasa Museum, and in collaborations with various publications and small boat businesses in Sweden and the US.

Their graphic novel Djupet was published in 2017 and received great praise and attention in Swedish media. It is published in English under the name Of Love and Tall Ships and can be purchased through the author.

Eli is currently illustrating a book about historical rope making and working as the ship’s carpenter onboard the Eastindiaman Götheborg.

At the helm onboard the Viking Longship Draken, sailing into Qaqortoq, Greenland in 2016