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Ridge where the west commences

River valley in the mountains
Ridge where the West Commences, 40 x 30 in, Oil on canvas, 2022.

As soon as I saw this place I instantly thought of the song “Don’t Fence Me In” as sung by Gene Autry. It’s a view, looking due West, towards the headwaters of the of the Rio Grande river (in the distant mountains). The view is from Brown’s Lake Overlook (AKA Weminuche Wilderness Vista) along the Silver Thread Scenic Highway (CO 149).
https://silverthreadbyway.com/14-stops/33-rio-grande-river-browns-lake-overlook

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Go where there is no path and leave a trail

green plain with road coming in from bottom right. Low brown purple mountains in the distance. Blue sky.
Go where there is no path and leave a trail. Michel Liebhaber. 40 x 30 in, Oil on canvas, 2022.

My path paintings are about journeys, not destinations. The title is from a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

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14ers near Alamosa, CO

14ers near Alamosa
14ers near Alamosa, Michael Liebhaber, Oil on birch panel, 40×30 inches, 2022

Three fourteen thousand foot (4268 meter) peaks, east of Alamosa, Colorado. Viewed in the summer time. The peaks, from left to right, are Ellingwood Point, Blanca Peak (Sisnaajini in Diné), and Little Bear Peak

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Meeting the Oracle

The Oracle (Oil on canvas, 4x3 feet, 2017, Michael Liebhaber)
The Oracle (Oil on canvas, 48×36 inches, 2017, Michael Liebhaber)

What would it be like to travel to Delphi and meet the Oracle? Why did men seek her counsel? Why her? I used experiences from my travels and incorporated colors and symbols from earlier renditions of Oracles and Sibyls to create a plausible reality about being in the presence of the Oracle.

Please contact me for more information about this painting

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Evolution of Art

oil painting. 3 heads. 1 with cave art. 1 with Van Gogh art. 1 with computer bar code.
Evolution of Art; Michael Liebhaber; 2020; oil on canvas; 36 x 48 inches

Visual art is constantly evolving. The only common denominator is the expression of human thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Is there a next step? Can there be art without humans? My allegorical paintings are painted in oil on canvas. I rarely use any mediums other than Gamsol solvent.

Please contact me for more information about this painting

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Self Portrait, v. 2016

Self Portrait v.2016, Oil on canvas, 48x36in (91.4x122 cm), 2016, Michael Liebhaber
Self Portrait v.2016, Oil on canvas, 48x36in (91.4x122cm), 2019, Michael Liebhaber)

Living things exude mood and energy, but this presence can only be understood in relation to context. Thus, figure and ground exist in symbiotic dualism; both independent, yet one does not exist without the other. Understanding is derived from their interdependence.

Please contact me for more information about this painting

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White River at Keeps Mill

Apparently, Keeps Mill was a stop on an alternative route around Mt. Hood on the Oregon trail. If that’s true, how people got wagons in and out of here, I do not know. The hillsides rise quite quickly from both sides of the river. The White River flows from the White Glacier on Mt Hood. Keeps Mill is a primitive, secluded campground at the end of Forest Road 2120 (note to self: Watch for speed bump at end of pavement). The last mile is down a rocky, narrow, steep, exposed hillside. Did I mention a really tight switchback and talus fields?

Oil painting of White River in a forest
White River at Keeps Mill, Michael Liebhaber, 2019, Oil on panel, 40 x 30 inches
[© Michael Liebhaber, 2019]
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Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy

Meeting Anne ca. 1953; Michael Liebhaber; 2020; oil on canvas; 48×36 inches

What would it be like to meet Anne Frank as a young woman, after the war? This interpretation was inspired by the overwhelming impressions I received as I walked through the Frank home in Amsterdam; the presence of a life force that continued on. The title is a quote from Anne’s writings.

Please contact me for more information about this painting