Christel was born in Helsinki, FInland. She came to the United States at age eighteen to study art at Furman University, Greenville, SC and Clemson University, Clemson, DC where she earned a BA in Art, French and Education. She was a high school art teacher for several years. After a move to Atlanta, GA she studied Surface Design and Fiber Arts at Georgia State Universiy. Later she began Independent studies in painting with the Ouida Canaday, Joe Perrin, Mark Chatov and Joan Tysinger. She now paints in her studio in Atlanta and exhibits in the Southeast and in Washington, DC.