James Strombotne was born in Watertown, South Dakota and received his formal education in California; his Bachelor of Arts from Pomona and his Master of Fine Arts from the Claremont Graduate School. His first one-man show was in 1956 in San Francisco. Since then he's had over sixty one-man shows, four in New York City, twenty-two in Los Angeles, and others in San Francisco, Washington D.C., Santa Barbara, Santa Fe, Newport Beach (CA), etc. Included in this number are ten retrospectives. His work is included in over twenty-five major museum collections such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. A feature article about his work appeared in Time magazine in 1962 and in that same year James received a Guggenheim Fellowship.

James Strombotne's work has received wide acclaim and is included in many well-known private collections, most notably the Jack Nicholson collection, which includes twenty pieces. He's also been included in most major group shows in America, including two Whitney Annuals, the Carnegie International and the Corcoran Biennial. Since his first show in 1956, James has received many awards, among them the Art in America "New Talent Award" and an appointment to the Institute of Creative Arts at the University of California in 1965-66.

James S. Strombotne is an American painter. He was born in 1934 in Watertown, South Dakota, but was raised and educated in Southern California, receiving his Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College in 1956 and his Master of Fine Arts from the Claremont Graduate School in 1959. He received a fellowship from Pomona College to study in Italy, and in 1962 was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for further study in Rome. The same year, a feature article about his work appeared in Time Magazine.

Strombotne notes some of his early influences as Jan Vermeer and Pablo Picasso, yet states his work transcends any traditional categorization. Described as "visionary" and "poetic", Strombotne strives to master the medium portrayed in a truly contemporary composition.

He has had many one-man shows and inclusion in numerous museum permanent collections. Strombotne's first one-man show was at the Studio 44 gallery in San Francisco in 1956. Since then, he has had over seventy five one-man shows, with twelve retrospectives: four in New York City, twenty-two in Los Angeles, and others in San Francisco, Washington D.C., Santa Barbara, Santa Fe, Newport Beach (CA), and other venues. His work has also been included in most major group shows in America, including two Whitney Biennials, the Carnegie International and the Corcoran Biennial.

Strombotne's paintings can be found in the permanent collections of museums across the United States, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Hirshhorn Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His work is also included in many well-known private collections, most notably the Jack Nicholson collection, which includes twenty of Strombotne's major pieces.

Awards he has received include the Art in America "New Talent Award," and an appointment to the Institute of Creative Arts at the University of California in 1965-66.

Strombotne taught at UC Riverside from 1960-2005. He retired as a professor emeritus.