James grew up on a small family farm among the rolling green hills of southwest Ohio. His family kept a small herd of cattle and sheep on this farm where the woods, fields and streams abounded with wildlife and the rocks with fossils. It was here that James developed his keen power of observation of the natural world that we find reflected in his artwork. It was also during this time that James began creating his first sculptures. By age five he was already creating play dough dinosaurs. James went on to graduate from college with a bachelors of Arts degree in Geology and a Master of Arts in Teaching. After graduation James taught junior high and high school science for twenty eight years. As an educator James fused his understanding of science and his passion for art into an educational tool to better explain concepts in the classroom. James retired from teaching in 2015 and now sculpts full time. James's artwork is realist and formative in nature. His choice of artistic themes reflects his early and continuing interests in prehistoric life, wildlife and creatures of fantasy. In all of his sculpture James strives to make his work believable and relatable for the viewer as he captures the grace, beauty and power of nature.