Leadership and Adult Education

Christine Claringbold of Eye Pop Art is a leader in Portland's local creative community. Over the last five years, she has acted as teacher, panelist, and consultant for artist professional development classes, workshops, and one-on-one lessons. Her focus is on helping artists and craftspeople to improve their business and marketing capacity, providing training on the use of Etsy.com and social media tools for listing and selling artwork and handmade items.

Christine has taught classes, conducted shop critiques, and provided individual lessons and mentoring through her networks at Trillium Artisans, Hello Craft’s Summit of Awesome, the DIY Lounge at collage, the 100th Monkey Studio, the Salem Art Association, the PDX Etsy team and I Heart Art: Portland (a collaboration between Etsy, PDX Etsy, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Craft).

Christine developed her Etsy Basics class in 2008 for Trillium Artisans at the request of the Oregon Arts Commission, with help and input from Ryan of Littleput Books and LeBrie of Penfelt. In 2009, Christine added another class, Marketing Your Etsy Shop.

Christine currently volunteers as the Secretary of I Heart Art: Portland. She is also one of the leaders of the PDX Etsy Team, and a member of the global Eco Etsy Team.

Christine is now excited to teach Etsy 101 as a certified Etsy Educator!

Art in the Schools

Throughout the life of her business, Christine has been actively engaged in teaching art to young people. She started out in 1999 as a volunteer for the PTA's Applied Arts Committee at Duniway Elementary School, which oversees an award-winning parent-led art education program.

Christine has also taught mandala painting workshops, ceramics, and other children’s art classes and camps for:

Oregon College of Art and Craft's Art Adventures camp
The Regional Arts and Culture Council’s SUN Arts camps
Tucker-Maxon Oral School
Portland Parks and Recreation (Sellwood Community Center and Brooklyn Park)
Buckman Elementary School
Atkinson Elementary School
Kelly Elementary School
Whitman Elementary School
Lynch Wood Elementary School
Sellwood Middle School
da Vinci Arts Middle School
Henry Street School for International Studies (New York)
PAC 8 High School Art Conference
The 100th Monkey Studio
Portland Children's Museum

Work samples for these projects can be seen at the artist 's website.

Interested in starting your own parent-led art program? Read Christine's two-part series on the Etsy blog:

Parents Teach Art: A DIY Approach to Elementary School Art Education

Parents Teach Art, Part Two: Making it Happen

Christine Claringbold

Mandala Artist and Creative Business Educator

50

52