When ten women artists are brought together to paint the beautiful old vessels of the Sydney Heritage Fleet and create an exhibition, there are always going to be wonderful stories to tell as they take their journeys of discovery through artists' eyes. The Australian Society of Marine Artists and the Sydney Heritage Fleet have collaborated to run an 'Artist in Residency' programme, while Writer in Residence, Jenetta Russell, has created a book (entitled "e;Salt in the A.I.R."e;) from interviews with the 10 women marine artists who make up the residency. She tells the story of their journeys and the humorous, sad, enlightening, up-lifting and stressful times experienced along the way. Jenetta met with the artists independently, asking each of them the same questions involving their inspiration, creativity and process. The answers were very different and lead to some fantastic conversations.

However, there was also some commonality, such as around the empathy they had with the volunteers down at the Heritage dock who do such an extraordinary job restoring and maintaining the historic fleet. And.a sadness and concern came through about the Sydney Heritage Fleet's need for funding for the equipment and materials so imperative to keep this symbol of the lost Sydney working harbour afloat.