In 1999 James was living in Boulder Colorado waiting tables in a restaurant. During this time he accepted a part time apprenticeship in a glass studio. After six months James decided to make a significant commitment to glass and left the restaurant to work full-time in the glass studio. During his early years James attended classes at Pilchuck Glass School and Pittsburgh Glass Institute, where he studied under a number of artists including Cesare Toffolo, Robert Mickelson, and Emilio Santini.
After several years James decided to go deeper into glass and the creative arts and entered the BFA program in studio class at the California College of Arts from which he graduated in 2009. After college James settled in San Francisco he join Public Glass, a non-profit glass studio where he teaches and makes he work.
James has been making and teaching glass working for over 20 years. Along with blowing glass, he also knows how to cast, flamework and cold work glass.