Official Website of William "Bill" Johnson
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About The Artist
William Bill Royster Johnson, Jr. (September 29, 1931–October 10, 2025) spent his life sailing the Bahamas in his Abaco ketch Island Girl. He kept meticulous journals and logbooks of his experiences with many of the now deceased spongers, turtle-men, and fisherman of these islands. He has put his biological training and artistic talents to good use by collecting information on bush medicine and natural history. Over the years Johnson garnered sea stories and folklore tales from many sources. From Childhood, his hero's have always been the men of these islands that make their livings on the sea.
The art and writings of William "Bill" Johnson attempt to capture and preserve the natural beauty of the Bahamas; by depicting Bahamian culture, sea, sail craft, sky, fish, flora, fauna, and fantasy.
Bill's authentic lifestyle enabled him to become intimately familiar with his subjects and to paint them against a natural backdrop of sea and sky. People who have studied The Bahamas applaud the accuracy of his work. Special recognition has been given to his prints of Bahamian fishing gear and sailing craft. Bill is also an author of several books, including ‘Bahama Tales’ and ‘Bahamian Sailing Craft’, which can be found in the National Watercraft Collection at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and in the National Archives in Nassau, Bahamas.
Well into his 90’s, Bill continued to embarked on adventures. He was known to spend his days in deep reflection of his life, exploring catalogs of memory, detailing and documenting his life and experiences as a young sailor, artist, lover and adventurer.
Bill's legacy lives on, as we archive and look forward to new reproductions and releases of his works. We carry his art, writing and passion for the Sea into the years to come. At Bill's request, a percentage of sales from each original piece will be donated to the Hope Town Junior Sailing program in Abaco, Bahamas to help support the tradition of sailing in the Bahamas.
Please feel free to contact us at BillJohnsonArtBahamas@gmail.com for inquiries related to original art pieces, auction, gallery and special event opportunities.