James grew up in Midhurst, West Sussex and now lives in Chichester. He is a self taught artist who has painted many commissioned portraits, including Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace as Colonel in Chief for the Royal Irish Regiment and has been an official war artist in Bosnia.

James also paints landscapes and nudes. He has been artistically inspired by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Edward Seago, Edward Piper and Robert Lenkiewicz. All of these artists have great vitality in their work with a wonderfully painterly flourish which James captures with his art.