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John M. Horton: Mariner Artist by Peter Vassilopoulos, published by Heritage House, (176 pp., HC, $59.95).

In the world of marine painting, Richmond-based John Horton is one of the most pre-eminient, with work prized by collectors all over the globe. Horton has also made his mark in the boating world: His 51’ orange-hulled Artist’s Life is a fixture of the Steveston waterfront, serving as the Steveston Lifeboat and responsible for more than 600 rescues.

Born in England, Horton spent several years in the Royal Navy, apprenticed in the shopfitting trade and worked as a designer and architectural artist before immigrating to Canada in 1966. With a life-long passion for the sea and its history, he found the perfect muse in Vancouver.

Over the years, Horton has produced more than 1,100 paintings—each meticulously researched, richly detailed and technically accurate. When painting a boat, for example, he starts at the keel and moves up to get just the right lines and perspective, even though the finished painting shows only the portions above the waterline. And for his series depicting Captain George Vancouver’s 18th-century voyages to the West Coast, Horton himself sailed Vancouver’s routes, from the Olympic Peninsula to Alaska.

This hardcover book is written by longtime Pacific Yachting contributor and veteran coastal cruiser Peter Vassilopoulos. It presents some of the artist’s finest work and takes a revealing look at Horton’s life and professional development.