Since childhood, Victoria Drake has been interested in arts and crafting. She went to a performing arts high school in San Diego where she studied theatre, costuming and set design. These interests carried into UCSD where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Media-Visual Art. She moved to San Francisco in 1992, working in special effects for film and television; later finding her niche in stop-motion animation (fabricating puppets and their animatable costumes). With this background in textiles and mixed media, she enjoys working with an array of materials. She has a strong focus on recycling and repurposing materials, giving them new life and meaning in the present. Victoria uses recycled sash windows as the canvas to transport through and into a spiritual journey of luminosity and ever changing color and perception. Materials are selected primarily by how they work with the passing of light and its reflective qualities: translucent fabrics, glass beads, crystals, semi precious stones, interference paints, pieces of metal and mechanical gadgets. The shifting of color and light is influenced by the angle. Depending on whether it is front lit, back lit, hanging in a window or on a wall, the look of the piece can dramatically change. Inspired by the stained glass church windows she loved looking at as a child, she visualized the design of these windows for decades before finally starting to make them. They spoke to her soul and bring back memories of golden shimmering lights at the altar; peace, safety, and calm, thoughts of there being something more. The subject matter for the Windows of Meditation has been born out of her own spiritual journey, acknowledging the ever challenging process to remain in the light. She feels a calling to help others find hope and inspiration on their own paths. The ever present interconnecting golden strings are part of a greater spiritual metaphor, weaving together the threads of our own complex life stories and how they influence each other. As each piece is a journey, there is a journey within each piece. Through these lifelines of hope, we can create better, more empowering lives for ourselves and each other. This becomes the tapestry of life and history, each individual story blending in with those around us and collectively trying to elevate humanity in our own small yet powerful way. She has a lifelong interest in form and flow, from skating, bellydancing and being a certified Pilates trainer. The compositions play with movement, often inspired by belly dance (a dance made by women for women) to truly celebrate each other. Themes that celebrate the feminine (empowerment, strength and sensuality) have been stepping stones in finding her own voice and hoping it will help others connect more deeply into their own vitality. Victoria is endlessly fascinated by the unknown: other cultures, realms and portals to special places that feel close by but are still intangible.