The type of Mixed Media that Drina calls Embellished Fabric Collage slowly became her favorite medium, after her first piece, "The Sower, After Van Gogh", was completed in 1999. Watercolors and digital photographs are sometimes preludes to the embellished fabric collages. Fried's process is unique, and involves finding the right texture of each piece of fabric for the underpicture. Some pieces have hundreds of tiny pieces included. The light reflects off each piece of fabric differently than off plain paint. The process is to choose and then lay out compositions using various fabrics (silk, suede, cotton, etc.) on top of a traditional substrate of linen or canvas. First she glue-backs the fabric with dry glue before cutting out and placing each piece patiently onto the substrate. The process tends to make each piece as strong and durable as oil or acrylic on canvas. Fabrics are first heat set and then UV protected with a spray that binds to the fabric over a 48 hour period to make it almost impervious to the effects of light or dust. However, it is almost always shown under glass to stop the inclination viewers had to run their fingers over the various textures. While giclees (prints) of the fabric pieces can be purchased, each original is one of a kind, not able to be duplicated. Then traditional art takes over. It may be acrylic or fabric paint, thread, crystals and/or any other embellishments with the goal being to transform the vision into interiors, still lifes, florals, city, and landscapes. These multiple embellishments then add shading and contrast to bring out perspective and the detail needed to interprete the “canvas”. Finding each piece of silk, velvet, suede, even cotton is part of the task, not just opening up a tube of paint and buying more when you run out. The art is similarly presented: framed, unglazed or behind UV museum quality acrylic or glass. It is long lasting- as durable over time as other painted media. "Twin Towers” was inspired after a call from her son from his apartment in Manhattan at the time of its bombing by the terrorists. “Tranquility” became the first in a series of 6 “interior landscapes”. "Flowers for My Valentine" a piece was completed for her husband and was juried into the Madiera citrus show in California.
In the Bakersfield Californian, contributing art news columnist Camille Gavin wrote, "....Fried designs her (fabric collage) pieces like a painting --deciding on the subject, size,and what she'll need to do to show contrast and unity in a harmonious composition. In addition to fabric and depending on the design, she may use fabric markers, acrylic paint, beads made of crystal and metal studs. Instead of laying down paint, she finds appropriate fabric to express her idea, cuts the various fabrics and uses steamed glue to affix the fabric to the background...."