James Bolton grew up in the Espanola Valley in New Mexico. He studied Geology in Colorado; transferred to the University of New Mexico to study English, Geology, and Art; and after a tour in the army, earned his Masters Degree in Art at UNM. He then moved to San Francisco where he regularly exhibited at the Hank Baum Gallery and taught Art at Stanislaus State University and San Jose State University. He was also a Guest Artist at Texas Tech University and Kent State University. After returning to New Mexico, he has shown his work locally at Exhibit 208 and also out-of-state. He has work in various public collections including Yale University Art Gallery, Achenbach Foundation for the Graphic Arts in San Francisco, AT&T in New York, and Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque.