Coffee with Frank Ybarra, Frank is an artist and storyteller. His paintings are usually a reflection of his life and interests; family, friends, heritage, youthful memories, food, music and his Arizona upbringing. Frank is a soft-spoken man with a cool demeanor, which is a bit of a contrast to his bright, colorful, fun and lively paintings.
Frank is a devout husband and father of two young adults. After a few minutes of banter you get the feeling that family may be one of the most important aspects of his life. He is a proud man with talents as a painter that I can only aspire to. He is also an illustrator, printmaker, teacher and mentor. Frank loves a variety of music genres but you’ll probably hear some classic 70’s and 80’s rock while he is painting, and possibly a few Yo-Yo tricks.
Frank’s calmness is contagious, probably a strong attribute that has served him well through his challenging bouts of chemotherapy. Frank is a two-time cancer survivor, all within the last 10 years. He talks openly about the struggles of radiation treatment. He used the word “annoying”. (I might have used a stronger term.) In Frank’s words, “I have too many ideas and things to paint to let it get me down”. I tip my hat to him. If you get the chance check out his lovely work, or better yet grab a coffee with him. Hopefully your admiration for Frank will be as great as mine.
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Excellent article. As usual of course. I like how this series continues to evolve and really expresses the nature and personality of the artist being interviewed. In this case, Frank’s personality and creativity shine through. Once again, good job, Dino.
Thank You Joe!