Nelson, born in Shiprock, New Mexico, 1961, grew up around Window Rock and Two Grey Hills area of the Navajo Reservation. Upon graduation from Window Rock High School, Tsosie attended the Yavapai Community College in Prescott, Arizona, where he studied Commercial Art and an introduction to drawing and sketching from still-life, landscapes and live subjects.
He then continued on to the University of Arizona at Tucson, where he further studied two and three dimensional design and studio art. Always yearning to stay close to his roots and maintain a healthy perspective, Nelson's work remains steeped in tradition, with a historical accuracy that can only come from a comprehensive love of one's own culture, and the people that represent it with such pride and dignity
Nelson and his wife, Valerie, reside in Arizona, where they travel frequently, participating in various art shows throughout the year. Come meet them at the Santa Fe Indian Market in August and the Phoenix Heard Museum Indian Art Show in March.