Carmen Drake

Carmen Drake is a painter whose work is rooted in classical technique and shaped by her lifelong connection to drawing, painting, and the quiet poetry of the domestic and natural world. Born in Lincoln, Maine, and raised in Meriden, Connecticut, Drake showed early talent as a young artist, earning numerous awards before pursuing formal study at the Paier College of Art. After relocating to North Carolina in 1986, she continued creating decorative work and custom pieces for local boutiques while raising her family, eventually opening C.R. Drake Mercantile in 2003, a shop that combined her love of art and antiques.

In 2008, Drake received the Special Operations Fund Scholarship, allowing her to study at the Academy of Classical Design with D. Jeffrey Mims. She later became a student teacher at the atelier, continuing her training there for nearly three years before further study under Paul S. Brown and, later, at the Grand Central Academy in New York. This classical foundation informs the structure, sensitivity, and craftsmanship that define her work today.

Drake lives on a small farm in Carthage, North Carolina, where she finds inspiration in antiques, flower gardens, farm animals, and the surrounding landscape. She works out of Oak Hollow Studios, a restored 1901 homestead that serves as both her painting studio and a teaching space. In addition to creating her own work, she offers instruction and hosts workshops by nationally recognized artists including Robert Liberace, Colleen Barry, Katie Whipple, Michael Klein, and Amaya Gurpide.