James Boren

A noted watercolor and oil painter of western scenes and member of the Cowboy Artists of America, James Boren was born in Waxahatchie, Texas, the son of a minister, and from 1971, he lived in Clifton, Texas.  Because of the influence of his father, he continued to regard himself as a religious person.

He knew as a teenager that he wanted to be an illustrator but his schooling at Southwestern College was interrupted by four years of military service in the Marines during World War II. After the war in 1951, he earned his M.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute and then taught for two years at St. Mary’s College.

He was named Texas State Artist of the Year, and as a member of the Cowboy Artists of America, won the gold medal in watercolor seven times. His paintings consistently reflected his belief that the American cowboy had the star role in the drama of the West.