Cay Drachnik was born in 1924. She started her art career early and won a national scholarship to Kansas City Art Institute upon graduating from Southwest High School, then transferred to the University of Maryland and graduated in 1945 with First Honors from the College of Home Economics. She attended Parson's School of Design in New York and then moved to Lose Angeles where she became a fashion illustrator with Bullock's Department Store. 

Cay married Annapolis Graduate Joseph Brennan Drachnik in 1946 and followed him to various ports in Europe and Asia. During early 1960s, the family lived in Saigon, Vietnam and Cay studied with local artist Tri Minh. She also took art classes in Japan with Tasha Senda; in Carmel with John Cunningham; at Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, VA; California State University, Long Beach, CA; and American River College in Sacramento, CA. While in Washington DC she volunteered at a mental health clinic and discovered Art Therapy.

Upon her spouse's retirement, she moved to Sacramento, CA, and received her master's degree in Art, with an emphasis in Art Therapy at California State University, Sacramento. A pioneer in the field, Drachnik served as AATA President from 1987-1989 and was widely recognized for her influential work on the Government Affairs Committee in her home state of California.  She was also a founder of the Northern California Art Therapy Association, and first recipient of the chapter’s Honorary Life Member award. She worked at Eskaton Mental Health Out Patient Clinic for 12 years and taught classes in Art Therapy at California State University, Sacramento, CA. She was instrumental in getting Art Therapist master's degree licenses as Marriage and Family Counselors, and she became president of the American Art Therapy Association. In addition, she was President of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sacramento Alumni Association and a member of the Assistance League. Upon retirement, she focused on her art, winning many awards in art exhibitions, including: The Triton Museum of Art, the Haggin Museum, the California State Fair, the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, and many others. She was a signature member of the California Watercolor Association and the North California Artists.