Born in 1944 in a small rural town on a Dutch island, Bill remembers drawing clouds reflected in shimmering waters as early as age 7. A self-taught painter from an artistic family, Bill experimented in oils, capturing the images of his youth, windmills, churches, historic houses, and tree line dikes beneath scudding clouds. 

Bill immigrated to Canada in 1959, settled in St. Thomas, and soon became fascinated by the wilderness and relatively uncultivated Great Lakes shorelines and Northern Ontario’s wilderness. With the photographer’s eye for realism, Bill excels in depicting unexpected detail in his painting, from the rose and orange of sunset clouds reflected in water to local wildlife in its natural habitat.

From his studio in Huron Woods overlooking the Old Ausable River, Bill finds both relaxation and inspiration, re-creating various local scenes on canvas as well as images from his travels across North America.