When Jay Ybarra’s sons asked him to learn the guitar so he could teach them, he didn’t think twice about it. He bought a guitar the next day and took up lessons. After a month, Ybarra’s instructor made it clear that this father who made a living selling bread was meant to do this.

“I was thinking he wanted more lessons,” Ybarra said with a laugh.

It’s been more than 20 years since that day, and in the time since, Ybarra has turned his children’s request into not just a career but a lifestyle. He’s also added painting, sculpting and photography to his list.

To commemorate that, Ybarra started a studio he named “The Art Life,” a space in Webster where—when he’s not performing music with his children at night—Ybarra spends his days painting; playing instruments; sculpting; and, above all else, teaching.

“I never saw it coming,” he said. “I give it all to God.”

Ybarra said he feels compelled to pass on what he knows. He now teaches about eight instruments as well as painting and other art forms.

People of all different backgrounds—from airplane pilots to heads of banks to doctors—approach him having had a longtime urge to paint or play.

“The idea that someone comes to me and asks for lessons tells me it’s something they’ve been thinking about for quite a while,” Ybarra said.

Taking lessons, especially in a class setting, can be an “exposing” experience, Ybarra said. It’s not something everyone is ready for, so he offers private lessons, too.

Still, it’s a lifestyle and practice that begs to be shown off. The studio’s walls are covered in paintings. Multiple instruments sit in front of a stage in the center of the studio. Ceramics are starting to add up in the studio, too, as Ybarra recently added that to his list of talents.

“When I go to sleep at night, I’m living the art life,” he said. “And I just want to share that.”