Heather Drayzen
Heather Drayzen creates small-scale paintings of quiet domestic scenes, often featuring herself and her loved ones. Drayzen, born in 1985 in San Antonio, TX, currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. She earned her MAT from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI, in 2008, and a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, NY, in 2007. Drayzen participated in a two-person exhibition at My Pet Ram in New York City, NY, in 2023, along with having works included on PLATFORM in the same year. She has also taken part in group shows at Myriam Chair Galerie in Paris, France (2023), Thierry Goldberg in New York City, NY (2023), and Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia, PA (2023), among others. She was an artist in residence at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, in 2023. Her paintings have been featured in Art Maze Magazine's Issues 26 and Double Volume Edition 30-31, and her works on paper were included in Deanna Evans Projects' Trove in 2023. She is currently working towards a solo exhibition at My Pet Ram, opening in May 2024.
Collect Bean: What is the kindest thing someone can tell you about your work?
Heather Drayzen: That my paintings inspire them to get into their studio!
Collect Bean: Where are you currently finding inspiration?
Heather Drayzen: I find inspiration from small, quiet moments in my everyday life. Light is a huge source of inspiration, whether it’s the glow of candlelight on my kitchen table, a patch of light on the floor of my studio, or my prisms twinkling in my window. These moments remind me to pay attention. I take pictures all the time, and my iPhone is a second sketchbook in that sense, but sometimes I just get lost in looking. I am continually inspired by artists from history and am especially influenced by the color, light, and intimacy in Pierre Bonnard’s paintings, along with the work of Neel, Morisot, Munch, Vuillard, and so many others!
Collect Bean: How do you incorporate feedback or criticism into your artistic process?
Heather Drayzen: Luckily, I paint in my home studio, and my husband, Josh, is an amazing artist. He has a great eye, so if I need feedback, I can ask him to come take a look right away. I also text fellow artist friends pictures of my work with questions. Hannah Antalek responded to my emails while on residency in Norwich! :) I met Dan (JD Raenbeau) at Vermont Studio Center, and we text about our work literally every single day. It’s been the greatest gift! When I have paintings ready for a closer look, I’ll invite artists I trust over for a studio visit. In 2023, we had a small group holding bi-monthly crit groups, and I hope to resume that sometime this year, along with taking another NYC Crit Club in-person class.
Collect Bean: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Heather Drayzen: Trust yourself! Everything you ever wanted to make is already inside you…and KEEP GOING.
Collect Bean: If you had to describe your work in only three words, what would they be?
Heather Drayzen: Tender, Intimate, Glow
