Painter and author Helen Opie launched her new book Aboard Picton Castle at a pleasant, low-key event at the wine bar behind Bainton's/Mad Hatter Book Shop in Annapolis Royal on August 22. Long-time friends and new acquaintances dropped in to chat with Helen about books, art, and what it's like to take a month-long trip on a tall ship.
Captain Keith McLaren, who knows the ship well, wrote that "the book is a wonderfully intimate portrait of life on board the sailing barque, Picton Castle. Her watercolour sketches provide an intimate and affectionate record of her trip, capturing every aspect of the work of the crew and the character of the ship. Her colourful and detailed renderings, in the tradition of the great shipboard artists of the past, are accompanied by written descriptions and personal reflections that offer insight into her experience as a welcome observer on the voyage. This is a beautiful and contemplative book."