A native of Cincinnati, OH, James Joseph Williams followed in the artistic footsteps of his great-grandmother and great-grandfather, both established artists at the turn of the 20th century. He began his portrait career in 1974, painting hundreds of portraits since then. Some of his notable subjects include Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the polio vaccine; Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-Fil-A; Dave Thomas, Founder of Wendy's; and numerous corporate and philanthropic leaders, US Federal judges, as well as many private family portraits. Williams has a vast library that chronicles the great old master portrait painters of the past centuries. He states, "I am always studying the lighting, shadow, color, pose, and composition of the great master artists from the Renaissance period on." Williams has been a resident of Atlanta, GA since 1978.