Bill Wolfmann was born in Vienna, Austria in 1931. He spent the war years in the Midlands of

England. After the war, Bill first discovered his talents in fashion drawing and later, while

taking art classes in Chelsea and Hampstead Studios in London, in oil painting. With his

good eye for art, Bill quickly became active in the fashion industry in London and soon after

in New York City as a women's sportswear buyer for Alexander's Department Store, then

later at Hales/Weinstocks and Liberty House/City of Paris in San Francisco, as well as for

Fresno's Gottschalks.

In 2007, after 25 years as a buyer of ladies sportswear at Gottschalks, Bill decided to return

to his art roots and pursue painting and drawing full time. Bill sought out several art scenes

for inspiration and training. He first began studying at Fresno Art Museum and

Fresno City College which gave him opportunities to work with fantastic local artists and

educators such as Nanette Maki-Dearson, Ann Scheid and Kay Sermon, and as of recent,

private studies with Will Portis.

Bill describes himself as a late bloomer with a devotion to the Renaissance and to romantic

realism. Artists who have most influenced him are Raphael, Pontormo and Michelangelo and

Goya.

Some of Bill's artistic highlights have taken him around the world. In 2008, he studied

Chinese brush painting at the Hangzhou Art Academy in China and in 2009 Renaissance art

history in Florence, Milan, Arezzo and Bologna. In 2010, he completed a six week study

course in Europe at the Kunsthistorisches and Leopold Museums in Vienna with additional

studies at the Vatican, frescoes in Assisi and at Florence's Uffizi Palace as well as painting

with Professor Cretara in Florence. In 2010, Bill finished three commission paintings of

Mother Scholastica for the convent, Pious Disciples of the Divine Master. His work received

great praise and appreciation from Rome.

In 2011, Bill toured many cities and museums in Spain to study the work of Goya at the

Prado. While he was in Spain, he also researched flamenco dancers in Andalusia. In 2013,

Bill toured throughout Amsterdam and created many beautiful works from this visit. Upon his

return, Bill was featured in a one-man show at the M Street Gallery.

In March 2015, Bill was a guest at the Flamenco Festival in Jerez, Andalucia and Madrid,

Spain. Bill’s Flamenco themed art was displayed on his return in his one-man show at

Fresno’s Sorensen’s Studio. The same year, Bill won the “Best of Show” at the Black &

White Annual Show.

The spring of 2016-2019, Bill studied portrait painting and figure drawing at the Paris’

prestigious Studio Escalier. In Summer 2019, Bill studied at Tony Ryder Studio in Santa Fe,

New Mexico.

In 2021, Bill premiered his Pandemic Self-Portraits series, “The Eternal Silent Scream” at

Fresno’s Art Groover Studio. The works were a montage of emotions during Covid

lockdown.