Official Website of William "Bill" Johnson
About The Artist
Captain Johnson ( William Bill Royster Johnson, Jr. born September 29, 1931), has spent his years sailing the Bahamas in his Abaco ketch Island Girl. He has kept 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 has 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 attempts to capture and preserve the natural beauty of the Bahamas; by depicting Bahamian sea, sky, fish flora, and cultural way of life.
Bills authentic lifestyle has 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.
As Bill enters into his 90’s, he embarks on new adventures. Bill spends his days in deep remembrance of his life’s richness and explores catalogs of memory as he continues to detail and document in writing, his life and experiences as a young sailor, artist, lover and adventurer.
Bill is no longer producing paintings but we can look forward to new reproductions and releases of his works, as we carry his art, writing and passion for the Sea into the years to come. At Bills 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.