Ongoing: Live Nature Sketching Workshops
Check out my livestreaming site where I present weekly workshops throughout the year that pair wildlife education with nature sketching.
February 17-20, 2023: Winter Wings Festival
Join me in southern Oregon over Presidents’ Day weekend, 2023, for a fabulous birding event, the Winter Wings Festival. The Klamath Basin, where the festival is located, is well known for its raptors and water birds. Here is my schedule:
- Friday, February 17: Introduction to Techniques for Sketching Birds in the Field, 8-noon.
- Saturday, February 18th: Drawing Birds for Youth, 12:30- 2 pm and 2-3:30 pm
- Sunday, February 19th: Sketching Birds at the Favell Museum, 9 am – 1 pm
- Monday, February 20th: Sketching Birds at the Favell Museum, 9 am – 1 pm
December, 2022: Naturally Adventurous Podcast Interview
Check out Christine’s interview on the Naturally Adventurous podcast hosted by Charley Hesse and Ken Behrens. We chat about the role field sketching can have in understanding and appreciating the natural world.
November 5 & 9th, 2022: Hummingbird Presentation
Join me for a live, in-person presentation on hummingbirds at the Deschutes Public Library’s Bend branch (Nov 5) and Sunriver branch (Nov 9). No pre-registration is required and the event is free.
In this presentation, you’ll learn fascinating facts about the unique and acrobatic flying abilities of hummingbirds. Many physical adaptations allow these smallest of avian species to have a greater range of flying abilities than any other birds including the ability to hover, fly upside down, and even fly backward!
The presentation will be enhanced by my sketches, photos, and videos of hummingbird species I’ve encountered in my travels in Central and South America where hummingbirds reach their greatest diversity. With enchanting names like topaz, sunangel, coquette, and sylph, who wouldn’t be captivated by hummingbirds?
You can watch the recording of the presentations on the Deschutes Public Library’s YouTube channel or watch the higher-quality online presentation I did HERE (free registration).
October 8th, 2022: Fungus Festival
Join me for the Fungus Festival at Sunriver Nature Center where I’ll be leading mushroom sketching and painting classes for kids and in the afternoon an adult’s intensive mushroom sketching program using specimens from the festival.
May 14th,2022: Global Big Day in Costa Rica
Join me for a live event (or watch the recording) of my Global Big Birding Day in Costa Rica. I’ll be roaming around the grounds of my lodge (Rancho Naturalista) checking out the birds we can see at the fruit feeders and taking videos of the hummingbirds and other species we see during the day.
January, 2022: Birding Big Days in Belize
I spent two weeks exploring Belize and doing my ‘big days’ with a twist; attempting to sketch as many birds as I could see during three 12-hour birding blitzes. These were accomplished with the help of my excellent guides at Black Rock Lodge (Fernando Obando), Lamanai Outpost Lodge (Eduardo Ruano) and La Milpa Field Station (Mauricio Aquilar) at the edge of the wilderness known as the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area. I also birded and sketched at the famous wetlands known as Crooked Tree as well as the Tropical Education Center. Check out the birds I saw and sketched on my YouTube Channel below!
September 28, 2021: Publication of Habitats of the World
Habitats of the World is a book I was honored to be involved with in a small but important way. I illustrated the front cover, which features the creatures of one of my favorite habitats in the Neotropics, filled with toucans, dart frogs, coatis, orchids, and bromeliads.
It is the first field guide to all of the world’s major land habitats—richly illustrated and packed with essential information to help you get the most out of your outdoor adventures. Written by the stellar team of Iain Campbell, Ken Behrens, Charley Hesse, and Phil Chaon, who are all wildlife guides for Tropical Birding Tours, a global birdwatching tour company that I had the pleasure of using on a trip to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador.
Habitats of the World is now available for pre-order. CLICK HERE to learn more about the book at Princeton University Press.
Wild Hope: Field Notes and Images from Nature’s Front Lines
I wrote and illustrated an article in Volume 9 of Wild Hope magazine which chronicles my experiences assisting with an ornithology research project in the high Sierra of northern California.
October 7-11,2020: Wild Wonder Virtual Conference
Join me for the Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, a global gathering of folks passionate about the intersection of nature, art, and science. I’m honored to be just one of 25 instructors for this wonderful event, teaching a workshop on October 7th titled ‘Whole-brain techniques for improving drawing skills at any level.’
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EVENT
August 8th and 9th,2020: Illustrator’s Guild Conference
I participated in the 2020 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators‘ Virtual Conference and served as a panelist, sharing my experience as an online educator.
June 12th, 2020: Value of Field Sketching Presentation
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS FREE EVENT then download the reference photo to follow along.
April, 2020: Colouring Book Published
I’m ecstatic to announce that the book I illustrated, Endemic Birds of the West Indies Colouring Book, has just been published by the conservation organization, BirdsCaribbean. You can learn all about the book and purchase it on the BirdsCaribbean website. You can also see some sample pages and learn more about these birds on this page of my website.
March-June: Live Online Nature Sketching Workshops
I led 150+ nature sketching sessions for folks house-bound during the Coronavirus pandemic as we were all ‘sheltered in place’. In each session, we covered the biology and anatomy of a different plant or animal followed by a step-by-step sketching demonstration. This series is now available exclusively in The Nature Nook, my online monthly membership program. CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT JOINING THE NATURE NOOK.
March 14th: Live Online Workshop: Sketching Butterflies
Join me for a live, online workshop to learn all about butterflies on the occasion of Learn About Butterflies Day. Then I’ll lead you through a step-by-step swallowtail butterfly sketching demonstration.
DOWNLOAD THE BUTTERFLY SKETCHING CHEATSHEET
Feb 29th: Live online workshop: Sketching Warblers
Learn all about the Wood Warblers; a large New World family of over 100 species in this free online workshop. And of course, you’ll learn all about their anatomy and field marks as I lead you through a step-by-step sketching tutorial.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD The Warbler Sketching Cheatsheet
We’ll cover not only familiar species like the Yellow-rumped Warbler, but also interesting Central American endemics like the Red Warbler and the Pink-headed Warbler that I’ve sketched on my travels to name a few!
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP for THE WORKSHOP
Feb 15th: Live online workshop: Sketching Pangolins
We’ll celebrate World Pangolin Day on February 15th by learning about this endearing but critically endangered mammal that most folks have never heard of.
Join me to learn more about the biology, ecology, and anatomy of this shy, scaly, creature. Then I’ll teach you how to draw one with a step-by-step drawing tutorial.
Feb 2nd – February 17th: The Loving, Healing, Creating Summit
Join me for this inspiring online arts event, where I’m one of 20+ workshop teachers. I’ll be teaching a workshop called Natural Reflections; finding healing inspiration in nature. Sign up for free until February 1st to the Loving, Healing, Creating Summit.
January 11th: Hummingbird Sketching Workshop
Join me for a live sketching tutorial on Saturday, January 11th at noon Pacific Standard Time. Don’t worry if you can’t attend live, the event will be recorded for your convenience.
You’ll learn all about the fascinating world of hummingbirds; their distribution, ecology, and anatomy. Once you know their physical characteristics, you’ll be ready to draw one with me. I’ll lead you step-by-step in the process of creating a pencil sketch of a hummingbird.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN HUMMINGBIRD WORKSHOP
October 27th: Live Sketching Tutorial: Flying Fox Bats
Join me for a spooky Halloween-themed live sketching tutorial on Sunday, October 27th at 10 AM Pacific Time.
As usual, I’ll be sharing cool facts about the biology, ecology, and anatomy of this fascinating flying mammal that I was lucky to observe in its native habitat of Malaysia.
Don’t worry if you can’t attend live, the event will be recorded for your convenience.
October 10-30th, 2019: Magical Mindfulness Event
I’m thrilled to be a guest speaker at Jools Sinclair’s event; Magical Mindfulness: 21 Days to a Sparkling, Joyful, Happier You!
It’s a FREE online retreat starting October 10th where there will be life-changing discussions, activities, and mini-workshops on mindful living and creating. When you sign up, you’ll get to learn from twenty teachers, including me. I’ll be sharing a holiday-themed activity on watercolor painting, plus additional tutorials normally reserved only for students in my paid courses.
You won’t want to miss this ‘magical’ event. Click HERE to reserve your spot today.
September 12-15th: Nature Journaling Conference
Join me at the 1st annual Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference this fall in Pacific Grove, California.
The conference is hosted by John Muir Laws; an author, illustrator, and educator from California and a colleague of mine from the science illustration program we both graduated from at U.C. Santa Cruz. This event will gather people who are passionate about nature, art, science, curiosity, and wonder to share ideas, learn from each other, support each other, inspire each other, and have fun together, immersed in the beauty of the central coast.
The event will be held at the Mott Training Center on the campus of Asilomar, with additional classes and events at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History and other local venues.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WILD WONDER HERE.
August: Artist’s Residency in Costa Rica
I’ll be doing an artist’s residency during August at the famous bird-watching lodge in Costa Rica called Rancho Naturalista. Here, I’ll be sketching and painting the rich diversity of flora and fauna including such specialty species as the Snowcap Hummingbird seen below!
Follow MY BLOG to read natural history stories and see photos and sketches from the trip.
April 26th and 27th: Bird Drawing Workshop in Burns, Oregon
Join me in eastern Oregon on Friday, April 26th from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Harney County Library in Burns for my 2-hour beginner’s bird drawing workshop ‘Stick Figures to Songbirds in Just 60 Minutes’.
Then on Saturday, we will meet at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for a morning bird walk and some bird sketching practice.
To sign up, fill out the form on the Harney County Library website or contact Laurie O’Connor at the Harney County Library at: laurie@harneycountylibrary.org
April 22 – May 4: Sketchbook Revival Online Arts Workshop
I’m teaching for a free art journaling program called the Sketchbook Revival Online Workshop that I’d like to invite you to. It starts April 22 and runs through May 4 and includes daily interviews and hands-on workshops with over 20 artists from around the world.
April 22: Earth Day Inspired Sketching Class
Join me in Bend, Oregon for a class in honor of Earth Day: Introduction to Nature Sketching. It’s Monday, April 22nd from 10-noon at the Sagebrushers Art Society. Read the poster below to learn more.
It’s free, but pre-registration is required so email me to save your spot: hello@christineelder.com
March 8-10: Vallarta Bird and Nature Festival
Join me in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico this spring for a 3-day festival celebrating the local flora and fauna of this beautiful region of the Pacific coast of Mexico. The festival is based at the award-winning Vallarta Botanical Gardens just 30 minutes south of the city and will include 3 days of birding and nature walks, talks, workshops and celebrations. The area offers lots of activities for nature lovers and bird-watchers, including 300+ species of birds including specialty species like the Lilac-crowned Parrot, Citreoline Trogon, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, and many others. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in this region of Mexico and am excited to return. I’ll be teaching bird sketching classes for adults and children at the beautiful Vallarta Botanical Gardens.
Learn more and register on the Vallarta Bird and Nature Festival website.
2018 Events
May 24, 2018: Podcast interview with Nurture in Nature
I was interviewed by Tania Moloney of the Nurture in Nature podcast. She’s an Australian nature educator who helps inspire kids and parents with fun activities for getting outside more often in order to feel the sun in your face, the wind in your hair and the warmth in your heart.
I was honored to be chatting with Tania about the benefits of nature journaling for families and educators and how it can build empathy, understanding and ultimately, a conservation ethic in those that pursue this engaging practice.
May 12 and 13,2018: Silver Falls State Park Birding and Wildflower Festival
Christine taught bird sketching workshops at the 40th Annual Silver Falls State Park Birding and Wildflower Festival, located near scenic Silverton, Oregon. Christine Elder led 1-hour workshops where participants learned about 3 different species that migrate through the area; Rufous Hummingbird, Wilson’s Warbler, and Black-headed Grosbeaks. Students learned about the birds’ migratory routes, life history, identification, and hints for creating realistic sketches of them. Here are a few photos from the event. A great time was had by all!
February 24-March 4: Birds and Blossoms Nature Sketching Holiday
Christine led a sketching holiday in the tropical rainforest of the beautiful country of Honduras.
Nature sketchers in Honduras
2017
November 24-December 7: Visiting Peru’s lowland rainforests and cloud forests on a trip sponsored by the Amazon Conservation Association, in order to sketch its abundant wildlife and plan a return trip to bring my nature sketching guests.
September 29-October 2: Attending the American Birding Expo in Philadephia where I’ll have a booth with information on my sketching holidays and I’ll be demonstrating bird sketching techniques.
September 15-17: Attending the Puget Sound Bird Festival where I’ll be leading bird appreciation activities for kids.
March 1-5: Led a birdwatching tour to western Mexico, which allowed us to donate to a local conservation organization called United for the Macaws, which educates people about the endangered Military Macaw. We presented them with funds as well as a macaw coloring page that I designed for their use in educating local village children. Here’s a link to the English language version if you’d like to share it with your own kids.
2016
December 16: Teaching a sketching workshop in Nome Alaska for the University of Fairbanks Northwest Campus in Nome, followed by assisting with the Nome Christmas Bird Count. Willow ptarmigans, McKay’s Buntings, and King Eiders oh my!
September 28-October 2: Teaching a workshop at the Western Field Ornithologists annual conference, California. October 1, 8-11 am. Workshop title: Bird Sketching on the Fly.
Join Christine Elder for a hands-on workshop to learn quick and easy bird sketching techniques for birders. Learning some basics of bird sketching can be used in myriad ways; from giving you a new way to interact with and appreciate birds when out birding, to improving your bird identification skills, and to enhancing the quality of your field research notebook. Anyone can learn basic drawing skills and even if your drawing isn’t perfect, it’s the process, not the product that counts in learning about a bird’s form and behavior. Whether you’re out in the field, at the zoo, or home drawing your pet canary you’ll gain enjoyment and knowledge from the practice of sketching birdlife.
May 8-15: Attending the Biggest Week in American Birding, Ohio. I’ll be sharing a vendor booth with Paradise Birding and sharing my tips for identifying woodpeckers and warblers through the practice of field sketching.
May 7: Teaching workshops at the 38th Annual Silver Falls State Park Birding and Wildflower Festival, Oregon.
I will be leading wildflower and bird sketching workshops during this festival held in the beautiful temperate rain forest habitat in Oregon. Visit the Silver Falls State Park website for more information.
Young sketching student
March 5 & 6: Teaching bird sketching workshops at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
I’m pleased to announce that I ’ll be returning to Mexico for the Vallarta Bird Festival held at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to teach bird sketching workshops on March 5th and 6th. The gardens are a fabulous place for this workshop with its many acres of native plants set in a tropical paradise and serenaded by the rushing water of a wild river running in the canyon below. In my workshop we will focus on a quick sketching technique appropriate for drawing live birds, then we’ll venture out to the gardens to observe birds at the feeders, including the endemic San Blas Jays and Yellow-winged Caciques. Saturday’s workshop will focus on sketching woodpeckers, such as the Golden-Cheeked and Pale-billed and Sunday’s workshop will focus on sketching hummingbirds. Learn more here.
Audubon Society Presentation
September 17: Presentation titled Improving your bird identification skills through the practice of field sketching. Held at the East Cascades Audubon Society, Bend Oregon.
20th International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean
Connecting Communities and Conservation
C
hristine will be attending and be presenting at the 20th International Meeting of BirdsCaribbean in New Kingston, Jamaica 25-29 July 2015. The conference theme will be: Birds—Connecting Communities and Conservation. Birds Caribbean a nonprofit membership organization working to conserve the birds of the Caribbean and their habitats through research, education, conservation action and capacity building. Founded in 1988, BirdsCaribbean is the largest single bird conservation organization in the Greater Caribbean region.
Christine will also be attending, presenting and giving a workshop on sketching birds at the conference. She is also honored to be participating in a very special program for children at the Hope Zoo in Kingston, BirdSleuth Caribbean-Connecting Kids Through Birds, a program developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology with activities specifically tailored for local children and focusing on learning about the birds of the Caribbean.