Hi, I’m Ela, a digital illustrator based in Albania.

I have studied architecture and later moved to the U.S. to pursue a master’s in city planning. Somewhere along the way, though, I realized that illustration was the thing my heart kept returning to. Ela’s Lines began in my dorm room, more than 5,000 miles from home, as I found my way back to a love of drawing that has been with me since I first learned to hold a pencil.

Since then, I’ve illustrated two picture books, and I’m getting ready to begin my third.

The name Ela’s Lines started as a bit of a silly idea. When I first began sharing my work, I called it Ela’s Little Lines because I honestly didn’t really know what I was doing yet. I just knew that every drawing starts in the same simple way: one line, then another, and another.

Over time, the name stuck with me. There is something I still love about that idea, that even the most detailed illustration begins with something as small and ordinary as a line. In a way, Ela’s Lines has grown the same way: little by little, one drawing, one project, and one brave step at a time.

I’m a fairly reserved person (often mistaken for shy) but I have a habit of challenging myself to do things that scare me a little. Moving to another country alone, traveling by myself to places I’ve never been, and figuring things out as I go have all become part of my story. I love traveling, beautiful architecture, old traditions, cooking for people I love, and noticing the little things that make a place or a home feel special.

My faith in Jesus is at the center of my life and my work. I care deeply about biblical femininity, family, tradition, and the beauty found in ordinary, faithful lives. Through my illustrations, I hope to glorify God by using the gift He has given me well.