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J. Anthony Wills

Painter of Presidents
James Anthony Wills has painted sports figures like golfer Ben Hogan, Indianapolis 500 Speedway owner Anton Hulman Jr. and Detroit Tigers Baeball Club owner Walter Briggs, and Philip Wrigley of Wrigley Gum Company. He has painted cabinet members like George C. Marshall, Secretar of Defense and C. e. Wilson, Secretary of Defense, and Henry Kissinger. However his greater works are his long list of Presidential Portraits. He has painted Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Richard Nixon. Wills worked only in oils and never had any formal art training. He could draw before he could write. At 8 Wills started with tempers, water color and pastels, and later chose oils. He chose oils because the masters used oils which have held up during the ages. He never used canvas and only used Masonite because it wont deteriorate like canvas's. Will's sold his first portrait of a neighborhood friend to hte boy's mother when he was 14 in Philadelphia where he was born. Will's works were often commiissioned by large firms. He had a way of really capturing the likeness and realness of a person specially in the hands. "Everyone has a best angle, though, and my job is to analyze what these angles are. if posed properly, a person can be made a handsome figure. A person is entitled to this." - Wills. He did not do work by first come first serve. He did his works by grouping them geographically throughout the country. He also took in importance of events like a Portrait unveiling is the focus of an anniversary, banquet, etc, would be pushed to the top of the list even if it was the last one on the list. If asked Wills would also take photographs himself if a client would not like to do a life sitting the entire time. He charged about 7,500 for a life sitting self portrait. He often had a large role in what his clients wold wear. He often would look in their wardrobe and pick out something that is in still then and would be two decades from then. This would usually only be with the woman who have high taste in Dior and high fashion cloths that would go out of style in 2 to 3 years. He would even go shopping with his clients to help them pick something nice. Once completed James Wills would personally accompany his work to it's final destination.

Family
Wife - Dorothy Wills 2 daughters - Shannon and Anthea 2 sons - Army 1st Lt. David Anthony and Notre Dame third-year student James Barton