Painting Titled "Life in a Full Moon"

This photograph is of a self-portrait painted by artist and signmaker William (bc) (Bill) Collins. The portrait depicts the artist holding brushes and wearing sunglasses, a black hat and shirt; above him a portion of the moon is visible, with rays shining down. In the background are depicted three museums: Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain; Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris, France, and the National Gallery in London, England. Also depicted is a cave in the Canary Islands, Spain. The artist lived and traveled extensively in Europe and Morocco after his discharge from the Army in January, 1971. Painted along the bottom are the words "Life in a full moon, bc collins, 2010-15-19." The artist began work on the painting in 2010, worked on it again in 2015 and completed it in 2019. Written on the back are the words "with my cave in La Palma and on the road starts Jan. 1971."

Born in Columbus, Ohio, William (bc) (Bill) Collins attended Columbus College of Art and Design when it was still a small art school, majoring in Fine Art. After serving in the Army in Europe, he became a sign artist for businesses throughout the Columbus area, starting his sole ownership sign business in 1978. Over nearly three decades, he created some of the most iconic advertising art in central Ohio.

Before the advent of computers and the use of vinyl, bc designed, created and sold his signs marketing his work through word of mouth. He cut letters with a router, made and pounced patterns, projected designs on a variety of objects then finished the job by painting and installing the sign.

bc created signs for numerous Worthington-area businesses, including Angels on High, Scottie MacBean, Pig Iron BBQ (now Iron Grill Barbeque and Brew), P.K. O'Ryan's, The Old Bag of Nails Pub, Celtic Corner, Magic Cruises & Tours and M.S. Abbott Jewelers.

In addition to his sign art, bc was an accomplished muralist, sculptor and painter of portraits, landscapes and other work, which were exhibited in galleries throughout central Ohio. In April 2022, bc’s 1992, 25-foot mural of the Columbus skyline became part of the permanent collection at The Ohio Arts Council.

bc said about his painting: "I love the aesthetics of all styles of art, but using oil, I favor creating atmospheric qualities in my realistic to abstract paintings. I enjoy completing oil pastels from my travels. The mesmerizing full moon is important in my life; I often portray it in my paintings."

bc and his family lived in Worthington for 22 years.