Elementary Art
Middle School Art
High School Art

Ellie Whitener has been passionate about art her whole life, but her love for creating came alive in her own middle school art class. Over the years, she has developed a deep love for fine arts—especially 2-D media such as portrait drawing, painting, and collage. While her personal specialty is graphite portraiture, she enjoys exploring a range of techniques and styles with students and seeing them light up as they find what they are capable of.

Ellie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Lee University, graduating magna cum laude in 2021 with the goal of incorporating her love of art into work with people and underserved communities. During her time at Lee, she remained active in the arts and launched her own business creating custom artwork. She continues to work as a commissioned portrait + painting artist. Beyond the studio and post college, her passion for young people led her to work as a case manager in the mental health field, where she supported children and teens through challenging seasons. She and her husband have since become foster parents, which opened a new chapter in both family life and her creative work—teaching art lessons to students from her home studio and continuing to mentor students from her local youth ministry one-on-one.

At the heart of Ellie’s teaching is the belief that creativity is a direct reflection of God’s nature. She sees art as an invitation to reffect the image of our Creator and to encounter the joy He takes in His people. Her greatest joy in the classroom is helping students come alive to the truth that God delights in them as they create—because He, too, is a maker.