Drake was born and raised in Iowa, where she currently resides. She became interested in art during elementary school by exploring various mediums such as oil pastels, paint, and graphite. She began exploring art outside of school towards the end of elementary school and into middle school and knew she wanted to become an art teacher very early on. Her early work included paintings and drawings of book/movie characters and musicians, highlighting her love of reading, music, and cinema. During high school, her work became more conceptual and explorative as she aimed to combine themes like vanity or good versus evil with hyperrealism and surrealism.

Drake currently studies at the University of Iowa, graduating in May 2024 with a BFA in drawing and painting, a BA in K-12 education, a certificate in social-emotional learning, honors in ceramics (spring 2024), admission to Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society, and an Iowa teaching license. During her time at Iowa, she continued her exploration of drawing and painting while finding a new passion for pottery. She held her first solo exhibition, Mend, as part of her BFA in October 2023. After graduation, Drake plans to teach art during the summer before finding a full-time teaching position for the fall while always maintaining her studio practice. Her long-term goals include attending graduate school for art and becoming a homeowner.

Contact A. Drake on Instagram @a.drakearts, through email, aedrake213@gmail.com, or using the contact feature of her website. Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!