The son of a minister, James Boren came from a devoutly religious family in Waxahachie, Texas.  Most of Boren's early years were spent in small West Texas towns such as Snider and LaMesa, where his father served as a minister.  Since most of the Borens' acquaintenances were ranchers, young James became very familiar with horses, cattle, and cowboys.  When the family moved to San Antonio, James became enamored with the Spanish missions, which would later serve as prominent subject matter found in many of his paintings.  He served in the Marine Corps in World War II and earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1951.  Boren went on to become the first curator of the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Cowboy Artists of America in the late sixties.

He has become especially known for his watercolors that depict scenes of the Old West with a nostalgic flair.  Over the course of his distinguished career, Boren earned an impressive 10 gold medals and six silver medals for his work at the Cowboy Artists of America annual show.  Asked how he would like to be remembered, Boren once stated that " I hope to be remembered as someone who went beyond just subject matter and did really fine paintings-aesthetically pleasing art that would go in any home because of its color, design, composition and mood." (The Cowboy Artists of America, p. 63)