Sligo born Patrick Collins attended the National College of Art and first exhibited at the 1950 Irish Exhibition of Living Art. His style developed out of a connection with the landscape, dominated by misty hues that captured the romantic notion of a poetic Ireland. Collins was elected to the Honorary Council of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1980. He became a member of Aosdána in 1981 and was elected Saoi in 1987.