Melanie and I took a roundabout field trip on a gorgeous day to visit with artist William McNamara who lives in beauty near the Buffalo River on March 6, 2026.

James had such admiration for Bill as a fellow artist, but THAT is not the only reason that I had cast my Charlotte’s web out into the universe to contact artist William McNamara. My spidey-senses were tingling to sit down with Bill for a legacy interview, because I keep a tiny photograph in my living room of a painting by James titled Chiron and Muse. The painting features Bill’s handsome countenance emerging from the water lilies with a paintbrush in hand, and a fairy hovering over his right shoulder as if in an artist’s blessing. 

I know nothing about the origin story of this painting, or where it is, so I waited for the moment when someone would reintroduce Bill into my life again and the James’ Legacy Project.

The day came, overhearing artist Karen Mills speak Bill McNamara’s name as I sat next to her in memoria of the loss of a community member. Maybe it was the whisper of spirit, but the connection was made,

What I love about these discoveries are the twists. Thinking that I am going to get a model’s story, when I sent Bill the image, I was surprised when Bill said he had never seen this painting before. Bill followed that with, however, there is another painting James did of him, but not this one. This is becoming a familiar story about how James would lock into a vision or the essence of a human subject and be compelled to paint it. So now there are TWO paintings for us to Nancy Drew their whereabouts.

I hope that this interview and post helps jog your memories and emotions as you watch the video of my conversation with the fabulous William McNamara.

— Charlotte Buchanan Yale