Peter Bilas grew up in a fantasy world of ships. The sea was far from St. Polten in the mountains where he was born. As a computer engineer, he moved to Capetown, South Africa, where he now lives with his wife, Marleen.

No longer in the field of engineering, Bilas devotes his time to his first love - maritime art. One of the top-rated marine artists in the world, he is, indeed, a master of detail and precision.

Looking at a Bilas sea painting can take hours. You can start in one corner and work your way through. And, if it's big enough, you'll be able to count the copper nails along the wooden hull.