Ralph Pulsifer came to art relatively late in life, in the wake of surgery three years ago that left him with a lot of time on his hands.

"My children have always been artists, so it was also a way to connect with them," said Pulsifer, a Shelton resident and member of the Skokomish Indian Tribe.

Indeed, Pulsifer credits "plenty of coaching from my kids" with helping him develop as an artist, along with what he referred to as "the University of YouTube."

Pulsifer renders his pictures in a variety of media, from acrylic paints to charcoal and pencil sketches. He began his artistic pursuit by...