Nate Drushinin (Commercial Art ’01, M.F.A. Art ’08) has a passion for the fine arts and works to inspire each one of his art students to share that enthusiasm. More than sharing his love for fine art, however, he strives to help undergraduate and graduate students build their technical skills.
“For many of [my undergraduate students], they have not had a lot of experience using traditional painting mediums,” Mr. Drushinin noted. “It’s so exciting to see the light bulbs go off in their minds when things start to click!” For this reason, he loves teaching classes focused on using oil, acrylic, watercolor, and charcoal.
The Dream
From a young age, Nate Drushinin loved fine arts. He wanted to eventually paint masterpieces for art galleries and share his creativity with others. To pursue this dream, he enrolled at Pensacola Christian College to study Commercial Art. After graduating in 2001, he used his skills as a freelance illustrator. He also was able to display some of his paintings in several art galleries.
“I wanted another opportunity to have a focused time set apart to hone my skills.”
However, working retail and service jobs on the side meant he could not devote as much time as he wanted to his art projects. “I wanted another opportunity to have a focused time set apart to hone my skills without other distractions,” Drushinin shared, “so I came back to PCC in 2005 for a Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art.”
As a graduate assistant, Nate Drushinin taught several undergraduate art classes; he enjoyed teaching what he loved, but he had no desire to pursue a career as an art teacher at the time. “Right out of graduate school, I decided to pursue a career as a fine artist,” Drushinin recounted.
After his graduation, he painted art for local galleries and worked in carpentry for nine years, finding success but also some hardship. “I had sustained several injuries in the trades where I was working,” he continued. “I loved working with my hands and training as an artist, but figured I was getting too old to continue on my current path.”
A New Path
After talking with then Visual Arts chair Shawn Thayer and artist-in-residence Brian Jekel, Mr. Drushinin joined PCC faculty in 2016. He now teaches both undergraduate and graduate painting and drawing classes.
“Looking back, there was a common thread of teaching woven throughout my life.”
Being back in the classroom, Drushinin quickly realized teaching was his God-given calling. “Looking back, there was a common thread of teaching woven throughout my life,” he shared. “I had always enjoyed teaching, whether it was teaching art, the Bible, or anything else I was involved in.” Using this knowledge, Nate Drushinin determined to not only teach art but also use his lectures to point his students to the Master Artist.
Mr. Drushinin teaches his students the importance of being ethical in their work and building their skills as artists, but most importantly he teaches them their value—not just as artists but as people. “My priority is that my students learn that their value and identity is based solely on what God says about them,” he shared. “They are loved beyond measure.”
Using his years of experience and his love for Christ, Drushinin is one of the many godly faculty members who strive to help the next generation influence their world for Christ.
Read more about how God is directing and working through PCC faculty and alumni.