John M. Horton, mariner artist - Peter Vassilopoulos

In the world of marine painting, John Horton is second to none, and his work is prized by collectors all over the world. A member of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists, the Federation of Canadian Artists and The Honourable Company of Master Mariners of Canada, Horton is the only Canadian marine artist cited in Dennis Brook-Hart's authoritative work "Twentieth Century Marine Painting". Born in England, Horton spent several years in the Royal Navy, apprenticed in the shop fitting trade and worked as a designer and architectural artist before immigrating to Canada in 1966. In Vancouver he found the perfect environment for nurturing his life-long passion for the sea and its history. Over the years, he has produced more than 1100 paintings, all of which are meticulously researched, richly detailed and technically accurate. For his series depicting Captain George Vancouver's 18th-century voyages of exploration and discovery, for example, Horton himself sailed Vancouver's routes, from the Olympic Peninsula to Alaska. Many of his paintings incorporate recognisable shore features. From vessels, harbours and major seaports to Canadian troops in the Arabian gulf, the subjects of Horton's paintings tell a story, and this exquisite book presents some of the artist's finest work, along with a revealing look at his life and professional development.

Peter Vassilopoulos is a long-time boating author and authority on the waterways, islands and installations on the coast. He has a background in radio and TV news editing, magazine publishing and book production. He and his wife, Carla, spend summers boating the west coast.

"Close on a hundred exquisite oil paintings are beautifully presented in this large volume of John Horton's marine scenes. John's paintings are highly prized - it has been a great pleasure to review such a beautiful book." RNSA Summer 2008