Born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California, James Parkhurst was inspired at an early age to cultivate his artist abilities. His love and respect for the ocean began at the age of four, when his father first taught him to bodysurf. Throughout his high school years James gained a love for surfing and all that it encompasses, ultimately communicating this passion through his art. He excelled in all of his art classes, and had the dubious honor of having much of his work mysteriously disappear while on display.

James has always had a tremendous passion for traveling, and did so by whatever means necessary. After high school, he was constantly on the road or on a trail somewhere. This instilled a greater love and passion for the environment and allowed him the opportunity to grow in all area of his art. He also took many surfing trips to Mexico, which also had an incredible impact on him and ultimately inspired his work towards seascapes. His experience working on a tuna boat in Mexico and Central America instilled an even deeper love and respect for the ocean, which is evident in his earlier paintings. His work as a tuna fisherman also took him as far as New Zealand, where he lived, worked and painted for a year.

Upon James’ return from New Zealand, he attended Otis Parsons College of Art & Design and Long Beach State University where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Communications. Since then he has worked as an Art Director for various advertising agencies and companies, winning numerous awards for creativity.

James' first love will always be his painting, however, and his ultimate goal is to completely devote himself to creating more masterpieces. Today James continues to gain recognition for his work, gaining collectors worldwide. He is constantly pursuing and fine-tuning his artistry by exploring a world filled with infinite visual emotions and by transmitting that spiritual essence to us all. “I am not only looking to create a beautiful scene, but to capture God’s poetry that exists there as well.”