Born in Gloversville, Robert Draffen graduated from Mt. Pleasant Technical High School in 1953. After college, he went on to become a Design Draftsman at G.E. He was successful in advertising and various commercial markets becoming a Senior Tool Designer for various major worldwide companies. He also studied under Ilya Bolotowsky at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where he also taught sculpture, painting and drawing. A gifted artist and teacher, painting and sculpting in all media, he showed his kinetic wood sculptures in NYC. Wax encaustic painting became his favorite medium in the 1960s and became his primary medium for the rest of his life, resulting in a one man show at the Queens Museum. His inventive and creative mind knew no limits. His work has been shown in numerous galleries and museums through the country and has been purchased by museums and private collectors in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Draffen's subject matter included portraits, of both real and imagined sitters, Shawangunk or imaginary landscapes inspired by the locale of his Roundout studio, or Time glyphs, works that included found objects, evolving with rust over time. When not painting or sculpting in wax, Draffen worked on kinetic sculptures, and other experimental and abstract art, not to mention all the teaching, technical consulting, engineering, and tool designing he did.