About Me

Hi, I’m Dora, and this is the story of my journey as an artist.

I love to paint, and I take pride in creating beautiful art. Looking back, I realize my whole life has been filled with color.

I began sketching at a very young age, almost always flowers and especially roses. It became my favorite pastime. I would get lost in the beauty of nature: the smallest things in the grass and trees, and of course in my mom’s garden.

After years of sketching, I fell in love with painting in 2013. I work in acrylics, chalk, India ink, and, above all, oils, and I have also studied collage, sculpture, and etching. My dreams became visions that pushed me toward greater images and new ways of blending color, to create things that are fun, beautiful, imaginative, outspoken, and brilliant. I paint with precision, from my heart, with much thought and compassion, and I never want to stop.

I was taught by two wonderful art professors at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas: Professor Brian St. John and Professor James Joffe. They saw my talent, always encouraged me, and made me feel that my work had real beauty and worth. Their classroom became my place of freedom. No two paintings were ever the same, and neither were my thoughts. I was determined to be the BEST.

When you look at my art, I hope you can feel my love, my imagination, and my inspiration. Each piece captures a place in time and lets me express what I feel inside. A dear friend once told me, “Take that emotion and turn it into the passion that motivates you to do new and great things. Remember, the past molds you, but the future defines you.” How true that is.

My artist name, jpyDy (pronounced “ja-pi-di”), is also the name of one of my beautiful Labradors. Please enjoy my world of art.

With much love, blessings, and gratitude for life,
Dora A. Ybarra (jpyDy)
BBA and MA, St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas

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