Sandee Drabek

Medium: Carving, Painting

Sandee Drabek, teacher and artist, grew up on Kodiak Island in Alaska. Her parents were from the eastern hills of Oklahoma and Missouri with their roots in Scots Irish, English and Cherokee traditions. Ties to the land and rhythms of the natural world influence all of her carvings and paintings.

Sandee taught on Bainbridge Island in Washington, Kodiak, Alaska, the village of Old Harbor on Kodiak Island and in Anchorage for 22 years. She focused on elementary education and children with special needs and also taught after school art classes for the Community Schools Programs, always trying to draw children closer to the inspirations found in the Earth’s natural wonders. She has taught or led many workshops and classes for adults on nature printing and weaving and in 2004 and 2005 taught “Art in the Classroom” at the Kodiak Community College. Her colorful murals can be found in private homes and local establishments. Her artwork is found at the Alutiiq Museum Store in Kodiak and the Fireweed Gallery in Homer, Alaska or sold through commission orders out of her studio in Kodiak or on the web.

Self taught, Sandee carves in soapstone and alabaster, creating both original works of art and replications of traditional Alutiiq style oil lamps that honor the culture and artforms of Kodiak’s original people. Her lamps can be found across our nation and in Japan, Korea and Canada. She is inspired to draw and paint the plants, animals and faces that warm her world. Her close knit family, bonds of friendship, her colorful gardens, the wild winds, birdsong and bountiful beaches of her home bring balance to her life and inspiration to her creative pursuits.