WELCOME TO THE PORTFOLIO OF CHRISTOPHER MONTERO!
The tropics are the supreme expression of life on Earth. The beauty of these exuberant ecosystems and their myriads of organisms are breathtaking and inspiring. As an itinerant naturalist, it is always a joy to share my passion about nature, and one way of expressing this fascination is art. My illustrations have been used for educational and scientific purposes including posters, comic strips, books and magazines. Here you have a sample of my art. Feel free to email me with comments or inquiries and make sure you click the thumbnails to see larger images. |
Black & White |
Ink on paper |
Ink on paper |
Ink on paper |
Ink on paper |
Ink on paper |
Ink on scratchboard |
Ink on paper |
Ink on paper |
Pencil on paper |
Pencil on paper |
Color |
Digital art |
Color pencil on paper |
Acrylic on illustration board |
Color pencil on paper |
Central American Banded Gecko (Coleonix mitratus) Mixed technique |
Acrylic on clayboard |
Mixed technique on illustration board |
Acrylic on canvas |
Varied Art |
Tropical Trivia |
I teamed up with David Norman, author and biologist, to educate people about nature through a humorous comic strip. Published in the Costa Rican newspaper The Tico Times and Ranger Rick magazine (February 1998, Vol. 32, No. 2). Click here to visit the Tropical Trivia gallery! |
Author |
Chirripo: journey to the magical mountain. This beautiful bilingual book is illustrated with photos by Juan Jose Pucci. Available here. (Fundacion Neotropica, 2001) |
The unique tropical habitats are highly vulnerable to human interference and today, at the turn of the 21st century, they face a tremendous danger of destruction. I believe in the power of art and education in order to bring awareness about the importance of biological diversity and the urgent necessity of preserving the natural processes that support the web of life in our planet. For more than 15 years I have shared my passion about nature as a speaker, environmental educator, artist, writer and naturalist guide. In Costa Rica I had the privilege to work educating with different organizations, like the Fundacion Neotropica and the Organization for Tropical Studies. I currently live in Washington State, my adoptive bioregion, but I periodically travel back to the tropics teaching different courses, like Tropical Rainforest Field Studies of the Sierra Institute in Belize and Guatemala, trainings for Biomimicry 3.8 in Costa Rica and more recently as a Wildlife & Conservation leader for National Geographic Student Expeditions in Ecuador and the Galapagos, Australia and Brazil. |