The Ladysmith Maritime Society (LMS) is hosting a presentation and discussion by renowned marine painter, published writer and dynamic speaker John M. Horton Saturday, Jan. 18 from 4-7 p.m.
Horton’s talk, “Cruising our Coast in the Wake of Captain Vancouver,” will take place at the LMS Visitor Reception Centre on the dock and will combine a discussion on Vancouver’s experiences and Horton’s artistic renderings of the captains’ journeys here.
Horton’s artwork has been exhibited many times by the Royal Society of Marine Artists, and he is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and The Honourable Company of Master Mariners of Canada.
In his teens, Horton began attending the Poole and Bournemouth Schools of Art in England and concurrently undertook an apprenticeship in the shopfitting trade. On weekends and evenings, he was a Volunteer Reservist aboard HMS Wessex. Five years later, he joined the Royal Navy, serving in the Pacific, the Atlantic and Arctic oceans engaged in fishery protection work.
He became a naval designer and architectural artist. He moved to Canada in 1966 and began a successful architectural rendering practice in the Marine Building in downtown Vancouver.
Not only is Horton a sought-after marine artist, but in his own right, he and his wife Mary are seasoned mariners who have spent years exploring the West Coast in both professional and personal capacities.
One of his passions, which he will address in his presentation, is the restoration of Captain George Vancouver’s reputation. He believes that Vancouver never received the recognition he deserved for his explorations and charting of the West Coast.
Tickets for Horton’s presentation are $5 and can be purchased in advance at the LMS Visitor Reception Centre and can be reserved by calling 250-924-2245.
In the spirit of the presentation, West Coast appetizers will be served, and a cash bar will be available.