Elke's place of birth is Stade, near Hamburg, Germany. She left this town for studying geology, paleontology and biology in Berlin and Marburg. After having finished with a diploma and a doctor's degree, she is working as a paleontologist about 30 years at a small university in the Harz Mountains, exploring fossil animals and teaching. After her retirement in 2020 she wants to spend most of her time especially as a wildlife artist with the main focus on recent wild and domestic animals as well as reconstructions of extinct organisms. Futher favoured subjects are portraits and a little bit of surrealism, inspired by nature. Elke is drawing and painting since nearly 50 years. Her mainly used techniques are colored pencils, ink, charcoal, pastels and oil.