.
About
I enjoy finding out about the student’s interests in the subject, so that we can tailor the lessons to what the student really wants to learn. I like responding to their needs and desires, and will “coach” them to learn and improve in the areas that they aspire towards.
Teaching helps balance an artist’s life. It creates a built-in social network, which creates structure, and also inspires creativity and passion, as well as adding discipline to whatever subject being taught.
No reviews (yet)
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I enjoy finding out about the student’s interests in the subject, so that we can tailor the lessons to what the student really wants to learn. I like responding to their needs and desires, and coaching them in learning and improving in these areas that they aspire towards.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Master of Arts
University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
Bachelor of Arts
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Although I prefer to speak with the student first, in order to figure out the parameters of exactly what they are seeking to learn, my minimum charge is $75 per hour for a lesson.
For group classes, I apply a sliding scale, so the price will go down for each additional student, but if you have multiple learners in the same family or friend group who want to take classes together, let me know.
A lesson’s length will vary, depending on the student’s needs, as will its contents. I teach a lot of different subjects, so I am able to adjust, accommodate, and cater to what works for you.
How did you get started teaching?
There’ve been “Stranger Things,” but this is true. . . Bill Drugan began his professional teaching “career” when he was just ten years old, when his school hired him for Saturday morning classes, teaching other how to play Dungeons & Dragons!
As a graduate student, Drugan landed a teaching position in English composition at the University of Colorado, at Boulder. He then went on to work as an adjunct professor at various colleges and universities: in Colorado, Japan, New Mexico, and Florida.
Throughout his whole life, Drugan has always been a practicing artist. He began painting+drawing before he started walking, and won his first art award when he was just five years old. As a teenager, he worked as a professional portrait artist, while winning numerous regional and national awards for his artwork, in high school. He had his first solo art exhibition in Japan, and afterwards taught art in his studio-gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico for many years. Since then, he’s been in St. Petersburg, Florida, where his current studio-gallery is in The Five Deuces Galleria, in The Warehouse Art District (WADA), of downtown St. Petersburg.
What types of students have you worked with?
“Drugan Sensei” has taught all ages, from pre-kindergartners to grandparents, in the public school system, and also at many colleges and universities, in both in the United States, and in Japan. He has also taught at many art institutions, including long tenures with The Santa Fe Children’s Museum (New Mexico), as well as The Dalí Museum (St. Petersburg).
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
My aunt and uncle came down from Ohio—where I grew up—to visit my parents and I, in Florida. Two of their friends from high school were also in the area, and they came along for lunch, and afterwards, a visit to my studio-gallery. They had been in my studio for a while, looking at, and talking about my paintings, when suddenly another artist-friend of mine walked in (who I hadn’t even been in contact with since the end of last year). He is also from Columbus, Ohio, where most of those in the room were either born (+/or lived in that city), and everyone in the room were Ohioans, including my artist-friend! Soon after, my Ohioan cousin suddenly called (the eldest son of my aunt and uncle), so all in all, it was a rather unusual confluence of energies. . . I believe that whatever we put our mind to, becomes our reality, as this is the process of making art out of our thoughts, whether that be through words—as with language—or as in images, as through visual art.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Find a teacher that you can relate to and respect, and one that understands your wants and interests with whatever subject it is that you want to study. If they can tie that in with other subjects that you’re also interested in, then that’s even better.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Be honest and realistic with yourself about your expectations on yourself, especially in terms of timing and progress. It takes time. . . An experienced and observant teacher is generally a much better judge of others’ progress, as they are able to impartially observe the student over time, as well as compare their learning with all of the other students that they have taught, whether past, present, and future. . .