KIND WORDS -

Testimonials

I’ve been lucky to work with some amazing students and organizations who have been kind enough to offer the following testimonials about our work together.

“Lahontan Audubon Society offered bird drawing workshops this year (2022) with Christine Elder, an extraordinary artist, and educator, who makes learning about art fun for all ages. We received such abundant positive feedback from Christine’s workshops that we will continue to offer bird drawing workshops as future events. Christine is professional, knowledgeable, and a talented educator, and we would love the chance to work with her again in the future.”

-Diane Wong-Kone, Lahontan Audubon Society, Reno, Nevada

“Christine gave an excellent presentation on her birding big sketching day in the Neotropics, conducted a very well-received workshop on techniques for bird sketching in the field, and included a field sketching component the next day at the 2022 Winter Wings Festival in Klamath Falls Oregon. Our attendees gave us very positive feedback on all her offerings and we would be thrilled to have her participate again at our festival. Thanks so much!”

Anne Wenner, Winter Wings Birding Festival

“Wild Women of the Water is a women’s fly fishing group located in Central Oregon. We are outdoor enthusiasts and nature explorers. We were pleased to have Christine Elder offer a zoom presentation to our group on capturing the experience of being in nature through the practice of nature journaling. The women of our group were encouraged to bring their journaling supplies to all their on-the-water experiences to capture the moment. We valued her emphasis that one need not be an “artist” to enjoy nature journaling and her all-inclusive teaching style fit all ages and experience. ”

-Susan Coyle, Wild Women of the Water Flyfisher’s Club

“On behalf of the veterinary staff of Toucan Rescue Ranch, we would like to thank Christine for giving us the sketching workshop. We all learned a lot and really enjoyed ourselves. Her explanations were very straightforward and easy to understand which helped us finish the workshop with a very satisfying result. It was really nice doing something that made us come out of our comfort zone and learn skills that can be handy in our day-to-day jobs.”

-Stephanie Valle Cubero, Education Coordinator

“Christine’s classes are inspiring and informative. With each topic, she engages her students with information and connection to the topic, and then she shows us how to draw the animal or plant in a way that is applicable to other organisms as well. I really appreciate her enthusiasm and passion for learning about nature. I highly recommend her classes.”

-Rima Givot – Sisters High School, Oregon

“Christine joyously and with abundant enthusiasm & skill will share with you her knowledge and passion for wildlife and plants and how to sketch/draw them. If you feel lacking in your abilities to draw, Christine will dispel them quickly and will give you instruction & you WILL gain confidence that you DO have the ability & that with practice you will improve. Christine IS a naturalist’s naturalist.”
– Sue Amison-Hicks

“Christine Elder has a refreshingly welcoming approach to teaching that reflects her obvious passion for wildlife and conservation of our natural environment. Whether at her home in Oregon or visiting us deep in the tropics at the Vallarta Botanical Garden, she has a marvelous potential to connect people with birds in a rich and meaningful way”

– Neil Gerlowski, Executive Director, Vallarta Botanical Garden

“Christine is so genuine – in her love of nature and desire to teach others about its beauty. She warmly welcomes people into her nature-loving community. You won’t regret joining Christine!”

-Ian Fawley, Interpretive Ranger, Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

“Christine is such an amazing artist and person. Though my son attends her classes when he can, I have really learned a lot from her informative Facebook posts. My son really likes to join her class and has learned a lot of not only techniques but other facts about the object/species in the drawing. It is just not nature sketching but nature education classes. Keep what you do Christine and help spread the knowledge.”

-Ruchi Verma Gupta (parent)

“I appreciate Christine’s blend of teaching animal habits, anatomy, and environment so participants are knowledgeable and prepared for each sketching lesson. I’ve gained investigation skills for nature observation, and I’m a better artist because of Christine’s courses. And she’s so encouraging – no pressure and all fun!”

– Karen Brehmer

“I’ve taken many creative workshops over the years and enjoyed doing them. But with Christine, it’s a whole other experience that brings out the sheer JOY of creating as well as the BEST in your artwork, within a relatively short time. She is well learned in the anatomy of plants and animals, which her students can easily translate into drawings with a variety of art media.”

-Jacqueline Anne

“Christine is stellar in the classroom. Her projects are well thought out and she works very collaboratively with the classroom teachers. She mixes the science and the art nicely and the projects are well-timed.”

-Julie Block, former Director, Youth in Arts, San Rafael

“Christine is so inspiring! She shares her extensive knowledge of our natural surroundings and helpful tips to better capture them on paper. I’ve become much more observant of the creatures and plant life I’ve come across which can only benefit my art-making.”

-Diane Marie

“Christine is such a wonderful teacher. She knows her field really well and is very generous with her time and information. Her classes are top of the line and so much fun”

– Lorna Cahall, Bend Oregon

“Christine ignites the studio classroom with her in-depth knowledge of wildlife biology, illustration, drawing, and painting to create a unique, diverse learning environment for artists of all ages! All of Christine’s classes are high-quality opportunities for our students at Art Station.”

-Deborah Allen, Arts Education Manager

“I’ve come to drawing late in life, and Christine’s cheer, enthusiasm, and knowledge have really helped me along. She’s a fellow biologist’s dream nature journaling teacher. I’ve purchased each of her online courses as they’ve become available, and she’s getting me past my plateaus and onward with improvement!”

-Chris Fisher

“Christine is a dynamite teacher, even for slow art learners like me. I’ve taken two bird sketching classes with here – she’s patient, entertaining and knows how to integrate biology with technique”

– Denise Fainberg, Redmond Oregon

“Christine is a strong, youthful scientist who entices others to look at the loveliness of nature. Her energy is contagious. Anyone would be lucky to have Christine on their team. Her passion and love for nature permeate whatever it is she is doing. She’s the real deal and has the scientific knowledge to accompany her enthusiasm”

– Jill Harke, Director, John Muir Mountain Day Camp

“It was a pleasure working with Christine. She is very knowledgeable and knows who to convey that knowledge in a way that makes people excited to learn. Our girls absolutely love her enthusiasm and creative activities. I would highly recommend Christine for any program that involved teaching art and science to children”

– Amy Perez, Girl Scout Leader, Troop 1238

“Thanks, Christine for sharing your passion and expertise with us in your wonderful class today. Both my kids loved it and so did I. I appreciate you being so supportive of our different skill levels. And your nature songs were a big hit – the girls have been singing them all afternoon!”

-Robin Baraybar

“Ms. Elder enhanced our seventh grade Life Sciences curriculum; her knowledge, expertise, and organizational skills always make it a rewarding experience for all”

–Trish Mihalek, Hall Middle School

“Excellent mix of science, nature, and art”
“The Art Station is lucky to have such a teacher for kids as well as adults”
“Quick, practical tips that are easy to remember”

“Your introducing me to drawing (the scariest thing ever!) actually has led me to draw as a form of meditation and journaling without words … loving it!!!”

-Marie Mathews, live workshop student

Great teacher, great enthusiam, and as generous as Santa Claus.

-David Todd

Christine is a passionate naturalist and educator who loves to share her two loves — art and nature—with newbies like me. I have purchased two of her courses and taken advantage of her free themed sketching workshops, and I can definitely see improvement in my drawings. She makes it fun and easy to learn!

-Nanette Holland O’Hara

I absolutely recommend Christine Elder’s classes. Try a few of her free ones and see what I mean. They are jam packed with information about the animal that will be drawn and her process of drawing is well explained and easily to follow.

-Cynthia Audesse

For years Christine has shared her extensive knowledge and experiences with nature, critters, flora and fauna with others. Her travel knowledge and experience are outstanding. Christine has AMAZING art skills in all areas. Painting, drawing, coloring, etc. Everyone loves her art classes. I highly recommend Christine Elder!

-Marilyn Miller

WOW! Christine’s sketching workshops + courses are FIN-tastic! She shares her knowledge + love for the natural world, and guides you through the sketching process to make it simple, doable and enjoyable. It’s like having a relaxed private lesson in the comfort of your own home. Such a joy to experience, and I’m excited to see what she’s sketching next!

-Living Porpoisefully (marine education company)

Thank you for your years of sharing your knowledge of art and nature. I really enjoy your classes, not only because you show how to draw or paint, but also teach about the nature object that we are drawing. Keep it up. Looking forward to many more classes from you.

-Gwen Gordon

Christine is not only super knowledgeable about her plants & animals, but she’s fun, too! I didn’t think I could draw anything but even with a few video classes I learned I could. She has the perfect blend of giving really interesting information, great sketching lessons, and fun. Take her classes!

-Wildflowers Nature School

I have known Christine for many years. Her excitement for art and nature and her commitment to environmental conservation are unswerving.

-Steven Greenleaf, Greenleaf Education

Christine Elder is a very knowledgeable teacher creating engaging classes full of information sharing her expertise on various forms of flora and fauna. She also has knowledge of rocks, the sea, streams and creeks as well as the breezes that help form our earth.

Each class has been a delight, I am always eager for her next one.

Get ready to enjoy well-researched, well-illustrated, and well-presented classes along with reading lists, photos, videos, and materials needed. As a bonus, Christine always adds history to her presentations.

-Ginny Mapes

Christine’s down-to-earth lessons are inspirational and have helped me improve my drawing and painting skills, while teaching me more about the world’s plants and animals. I love her webinars!

-Evelyn Simon

Weekly prompts and videos are inspiring and fun! They help me get my pencil miles going. Her online classes are great too not only for the art instruction but all of the background and discussion of the animals and habitats we will be drawing.

-Hope Rubin Egan

Christine is such an amazing artist and person. Though my son attends her classes when he can, I have really learned a lot from her informative Facebook posts. My son really like to join her class and has learned a lots of not only techniques but other facts about the object / species in drawing. It is just not nature sketching but nature education classes. Keep what you do Christine and help spread the knowledge

-Ruchi Verma Gupta

Christine is an amazing artists, teacher, and biology/nature expert. Her resources are unmatched and fun for everyone to participate in. She helped keep a lot of us drawing while at home last summer. BIG THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!

-Candace Moran

Engaging teacher. I love that she talks about the animal’s biology, not *just* how to draw. And her classes are great for all ages and skill levels.

-Natasha Leupke

Christine consistently breaks down the complex into doable steps – beyond techniques and copying. She allows your inner artist to emerge and merge with the instructions she offers.

-Rosemarie Daher Kowalski

Christine does much more than teach us how to draw – she always includes lots of information about the species as well. I always learn something new from her classes!

-Kathy Faklis

I have followed a few of the wonderful sessions Christine Elder has done in partnership with Birds Caribbean and I am blown away by her ability to impart her knowledge and experience, especially with the difficult subject of birds. She was able to concisely guide even novice artists toward a drawing that they could be proud of. Extreme talent and definitely an amazing artist and art guide!

-Katrina Khan-Roberts

Great, great instructor. Christine patiently weaves a passion for teaching wildlife illustration with interesting facts and anecdotes of whatever species she is taking about. Great for beginners and dabblers in nature sketching like me, but also lots of technical information for the more advanced. Thanks for all you do, Christine!!!

-Rich Harris

She is so knowledgeable of the natural world with small details I love to find out. And a very personable, enthusiastic instructor.

-Judy Foster

I think she is an excellent teacher who loves sharing her knowledge and expertise with her audience. I highly recommend subscribing to her blog /newsletter and allowing her to inspire you as she has me.

-Sophia Savas

Christine is a superb teacher.Her easy -going style encourages confidence and accomplishment in students.Art-wise, Christine has total mastery of her craft.Her work is beautiful and inspiring.On top of all this, Christine is totally adorable!

-Venusia Venus

She is an excellent teacher of nature journaling. She has been there for kids, adults and families through this whole pandemic. She gives a lot of background information before she teaches the step-by-step drawing process of her focus for the day. She encourages the participants to share their work and is so positive in her feedback.

-Roberta McElroy

I‘ve taken many creative workshops over the years and enjoyed doing them. But with Christine, it’s a whole other experience that brings out the sheer JOY of creating as well as the BEST in your artwork, within a relatively short time. She is well learned in the anatomy of plants and animals, which her students can easily translate into drawings with a variety of art media.

-Jacqueline Anne

I’m 11 and have 3 siblings and we’ve all loved taking her sketching classes. She’s really knowledgeable about nature and it helps because you need to know about the plant or animal anatomy to be able to draw it. I used to be able to draw a teddy bear. Now I can draw full body panda and it looks great! She’s the best.

-Amber Wright

My daughters and I enjoyed Christine’s daily Nature Sketching lessons during the Covid pandemic lockdown enormously! We’d gather around the screen together while her live session was on and learned a lot about the amazing subjects, developed our sketching skills, and created our own ‘master pieces’! These sessions were the highlights of our lockdown days. Thank you, Christine, keep on going!

-Ilja Botha

I have learned so much from her workshops and classes. The information about the flora and finally is very helpful in understansing nature. Christine’s demo’s on drawing are fantastic. I learn something new each day. Thank you, Christine

-Pat Ryan

Her enthusiasm for and knowledge of the daily sketching subjects makes the sessions really fun and interesting! I can see how my drawing has improved since I’ve been taking her classes. Great for kids and grownups. Christine’s classes are so much fun and instructive! My drawing and observational abilities have improved greatly since I began taking her classes. I enjoy Christines’ enthusiasm and concern for the natural world. I would recommend her classes to anyone who wants to learn more about nature and also improve their skills. I continue to learn and improve my drawing skills. I am so grateful that Christine provides not only her deep knowledge of Nature, but also shares her skills, experience, and encouragement.

-Sue Carracedo

Christine Elder is a great teacher, and an amazing nature artist. I love the weekly tips and the nightly sketching lessons – I have learned so much about observation and drawing!

-Stefania Klayn

So inspiring! Christine shares her extensive knowledge of our natural surroundings and helpful tips to better capture them on paper. I’ve become much more observant of the creatures and plant life I’ve come across which can only benefit my art making.

-Diane Marie

I like Christine , she is a great teacher, very inspiring and talented. She has a wonderful way to explain and teach, she clearly loves nature and transmit her passion in her workshops and lessons.

-Federica Buosi

I’m learning so much with Christine, both about fauna and flora and about drawing. Her lessons are interesting and everything seems so easy. And her smile is contagious!

-Myriam Ouellet

I’ve come to drawing late in life, and Christine’s cheer, enthusiasm, and knowledge have really helped me along. She’s a fellow biologist’s dream nature journaling teacher. I’ve purchased each of her online courses as they’ve become available, and she’s getting me past my plateaus and onward with improvement!

-Chris Fisher

Christine’s nature sketching classes are fantastic. She shares her knowledge about plants and animals in the wild–their habitat, ecosystem, development, behavior, anatomy, and more. Then she demonstrates how to draw them. I’m definitely a fan!

-Barbara Chan

She is a great teacher, enthusiastic and supporting. She has a scientific approach to observing and reproducing nature and it really resonated with me.

I strongly suggested to follow her tutorials, even if you do not have any intention to start drawing, as it can open your mind to an active way to look at nature.

-Ornella Bonamassa

Christine is an enthusiastic teacher and naturalist and she has a way of breaking down a sketch so it is not intimidating. I am in several of her classes and my sketching has tremendously improved. I even attempted a journal sketch of a rose-breasted grosbeak that is visiting my feeder. I highly recommend you check out her information.

-Cherly Horncastle

Praise from Kids

“Dear Christine,
You are a great teacher and I love drawing with you. When I first moved to Oregon I didn’t know anything about nature and you were the first one to teach me. Since then I have wanted to learn more about plants and birds. I can’t wait to see you again next year, and maybe we can draw some insects and bugs that we find!”
-Love, Monet (age 10)

I have gone birding with Christine and have gone to several of her art classes. My family has had so much fun learning about birds from these experiences. Christine is very nice and she loves nature. It is fun to sing bird songs with her and watch her dance. I’m looking forward to seeing her again.