Mary Beth Drabiszczak
Bio
Mary Beth Drabiszczak [pronounced Drab-i-zak] is an artist, educator, and art historian based in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Mary Beth earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and graduated in 2023 with a Master's in Art History from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Her Master’s thesis, “The Re-Emergence of American Pastels,” was heavily inspired by her identity as a pastel painter. Mary Beth is a Signature Member of the Wisconsin Pastel Artists (WPA) which holds membership in the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS). Primarily working in pastel, Mary Beth regularly participates in plein air events around the Midwest and was an invited artist for the 2025 Door County Plein Air Festival. Combining her passions for art and writing, Mary Beth has contributed articles and editorials for Artist’s Network and Pastel Journal.
Artist’s Statement
As a pastelist, I work with saturated color and gestural mark-making. My plein air excursions are an extension of my studio work, both of which seek to explore the materiality of pastel. Characterized as both a drawing and a painting medium, pastel is an ambiguous material. This uncertainty in terminology serves as a conceptual motivator in my practice. I look to push the boundary of these polarized terms of “painting” and “drawing,” especially through the transformation of pastel into a wash with rubbing alcohol. Reflecting on the historical association of pastels as “crayons” I often embrace child-like sensibilities with the tactile nature of pastel. Through suggestive strokes and bold notations, I look to capture portraits of the natural world and invite projected narratives and personal associations from the viewer.
Work by Mary Beth Drabiszczak
Available (5)
