William Daniel Pfahl works from life as a plein-air painter, in oil and pastel. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is best known for his cityscapes and landscapes of surrounding areas but also does portrait, figure, and still life paintings as well. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and studied in Rome + Florence, Italy through the RISD European Honors Program.
Pfahl has been a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) since 1989. He is also a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Artists and the Pittsburgh Pastel Artists League. His work has been exhibited at many local and regional galleries and shows including Southwestern Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Hoyt Regional, Westmoreland Biennial, Carnegie Museum AAP annuals, Concept, and James Gallery.
Pfahl has taught painting and drawing at Touchstone Center for Crafts and was honored as artist of the year at Touchstone in 2014. He has been a full-time teacher in Visual Arts in the Pittsburgh Public School system. He has demonstrated pastel and oil painting in art leagues throughout Allegheny County.
His work has won numerous awards in regional juried exhibitions and received press features in publications such as Plein Air Magazine, Blue Canvas Magazine, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Pittsburgh Magazine.
