POULSBO — Northwest College of Art senior and Salt Lake City, Utah native Ryan Parrish got caught drawing on his desk in school one day — and hasn’t stopped drawing since.

“When I was in elementary school,” he recalled, “My teacher would have to give me a little doodle pad, she’d get so mad about it.”

He’s still going, finally turning his hobby into his college major at the Poulsbo-area art school, and is now taking it to the next level by making a career out of his life-long passion after completing his three-year bachelor in fine arts degree.

“I like to stimulate thought,” Parrish said of his work. “Painting is a lot more than just a picture. It can be a thought process on a canvas.”

He said he uses memories from his experiences with friends, family and travelling as motivation for his artwork. Although Parrish uses a lot of acrylics for painting, his favorite medium is oil “because it’s so forgiving.”

Parrish, along with four other seniors — the last in their respective class — will present a gallery showing of their work at the school Aug. 10.

Another in the final group of artists, Kelton Cram, from Park City, Utah, specializes in the human figure using ink-illustration drawings. But like Parrish, he said he’s never been able to stop drawing and does so relentlessly.

“Every class I’ve had since elementary school I’ve always drawn in,” Cram said.

His palate is filled with different things.

“Depending on the time of my life,” he said. “From Ninja Turtles to cars to girls.”

He added that the show will represent much of his different styles through his time in school but will focus on different portraits of the human figure.

Cram will embark on a two-year mission for his church the day after he graduates. But when he returns, Cram said he’ll be designing snowboards and doing concept illustrations.

Whereas Cram’s tools involve a canvas and brush on many occasions, NKHS 2001 graduate and Kingston native John Gleffe’s tools are a computer, a mouse and graphic design programs.

Gleffe has been working for Seattle Systems as a graphic designer and plans to continue to do so after his final show at the NCA. But when it comes to his passion as an artist, nothing gets his motor running like drawing and rendering cars.

“I’m always hoping to see that beautiful car,” Gleffe said. “They’re timeless and developed with such passion.”

His personal favorite is the Mazda RX-7, from which he developed his personal mantra: “Rotary power for life.”

“It’s completely fascinating that it’s just rubber, metal and glass put together and it can evoke such dreams and fantasies,” he said. “They have almost a humanistic personality to them.”

And life after art school for the artist?

“This isn’t the end of a journey but actually the beginning of another,” Gleffe said. “I’m very excited about what the future holds.”