Born in Newcastle, James studied at the Burslem School of Art and the Royal College of Art before then training as a potter in the porcelain studios of Buller's Ltd, Wilton. Rushton was the Principal Lecturer in the Department of Art & Design at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, and also lectured in ceramics at the Stoke-on-Trent College of Art. He is a past Prize Winner at The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition and is an Honorary Retired member of the New English Art Club.
