Artist's Bio Jack Bybee southwest impressionist Jack's website is www.jackBybeeartstudio.com Website design by www.KevinAndersonProductions.com “Purple Jack” Bybee grew up in the marvelously scenic Western Cape of South Africa. For years he followed the internationally renown impressionist, David Botha, around the often rain-swept, oak-lined streets and vineyards of their home town. Now, aged 64, and a resident of Tucson, Arizona, Bybee has recently graduated from the University of Arizona, B.A. Studio Art, B.A. Creative Writing with a minor in Psychology. Bybee revels in the desolation he feels from the desert South West, as this takes him back to his travels in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nepal and Tibet. Further he draws on a deep spiritual awakening in 1972, to which he attributes his sensitivity to colours. Bybee works in what he calls the “medium of the morning” which can be one of the media he has mastered, i.e. ink, oil, pastel or acrylic. From time to time he creates in watercolor, but this is not often. Having studied David Botha and the French Impressionists extensively, as in writing, Bybee is developing his voice, his style. More importantly, the most common comment about this South West Impressionist is: “Oooh, your colors, your colors….” Bybee is commissionable and has fulfilled four commissions in oil and pastel. He currently tutors one-on-one and has developed two six week classes, namely Introduction to Pastels and Pastels for Impressionists, taught at a local adult education institution, Working in oil or pastel the result is often an impressionist or abstract impressionist rendition. While switching to ink he finds that the exactitude of the medium allows for detail such as botanical illustration and other smaller works. Many a patron and art collector has suggested that ink is Bybee’s strongest medium. Bybee’s art has sold into international collections in Italy and Spain. He has held two one man exhibits and joined the Tucson Open Studio tour in November 2006 and 2007. He currently exhibits at the semi-annual Tucson Museum of Art Artisan’s Fair, and will be in the forthcoming Tucson Festival of Books. His art was hung at Pima Community College West Campus as part of the Student Exhibition. Prints of his art are carried by the Tucson Museum of Art Gift Shop.
