Suddenly recognizing an artistic, even poetic opportunity, in 2018 Bill sold his house and numerous belongings, rid himself of nagging debt, and took off to places unseen – pulling his motorcycle along in a trailer, along with his painting supplies. With no job prospects and little cash, and selling possessions along the way, he slept in rest areas, store parking lots, campgrounds and Bureau of Land Management grasslands for a year and a half, at times in temperatures nearing -20°F in S. Dakota. Throughout, he enjoyed the privilege of seeing through his eyes life from a different perspective, one not witnessed from any other path. He got acquainted with homeless people, and experienced total isolation from humans for weeks at a time in the vast western wilderness and its wildlife. His powers of observation were keenly honed, and he developed a sharp artistic vision by pondering just where in this world all dreams, confidences, mysteries and fears truly reside in the mind of someone at their mercy.

Bill knew he must apply with paint all these values and perceptions on canvas. From prior visits, he knew down deep the U.P. was where those lessons were meant to be brushed. In 2020 he moved to Calumet… where he finally turned his artistic focus toward the beautiful Keweenaw.