Bill Evaul - “Whence They Come, Wither They Go”, White-Line Color Woodcuts

Part of a monthly changing exhibit showcasing local artists.

Great Pond Gallery at the Wellfleet Adult Community Center, 715 Old Kings Highway

Month of December, M-F: 8am - 4pm

Reception for Artist: Sunday, December 10th, 5-7 pm

Robert Rindler: Curator, James Connors: Co-Curator & Installation 

Bill Evaul is an internationally recognized painter and printmaker who maintains his studio in Provincetown.  He studied painting and printmaking at Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, Syracuse University School of Art, NY, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NYC and the Whitney Museum of American Art. NYC.  He came to Provincetown in 1970 as a painting Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center and has maintained his studio there ever since. Evaul’s artworks are in national and world-wide collections from Tel Aviv to Hong Kong.  His work is held by The Library of Congress, The Zimmerli Art Museum, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Provincetown Art Association and Museum, The Cape Cod Museum of Art and several others.

In 1979, while on assignment for Pratt Graphics Center’s Print Review magazine, Bill Evaul discovered a rare technique of woodcut color printmaking that was originated in 1915 in Provincetown.  First known as the “Provincetown Print” because it didn’t fit into any of the known classifications, it had fallen into obscurity, with only a few living artists who had actually practiced the technique. Evaul researched the history of its invention and produced a feature article for the magazine. Following that, he embarked on a self-directed course of study to learn how to make what is widely known today as the “White-Line Color Woodcut.”

This exhibition gives a brief overview of Evaul’s journey, beginning with some of his earliest prints and progressing forward for over 40 years with his development and extension of the practice.  Building upon the techniques of BJO Nordfeldt, Blanche Lazzell, Ethel Mars and the other original members of the Provincetown Printmakers group, Evaul has since made contributions of his own, including more intense layering of colors, more painterly handling of the images, use of oil paint and oil inks in addition to the traditional watercolor, printing on canvas as well as paper, exploring portraiture, and working in large scale. 

Evaul had conducted numerous workshops and classes nationwide. While the images for the prints are typically created based on a drawing or painting, he has found that, coming full circle, his prints can inspire new paintings.