James Young is best known for his oil paintings of midwestern barns and landscapes. His inspiration comes from the farm he shares with his family and weekly trips throughout the Ohio region. His paintings are created in the studio from digital images and on-site sketches and watercolor studies. His training in illustration helped evolve this technique, allowing him to construct his paintings using information from a variety of seasons and timelines. The finished works are meant to invoke a sense of place and a feeling of familiarity.

James earned his Associates Degree in Industrial Design with a minor in Furniture Design & Woodworking from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art & Design.

He began this artistic career in 1987 as a sign maker, and a few years later returned to landscape painting. He has been painting full time since 2006.