Artist Focus Pages
Greg Clibon was born in 1959. Growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, he graduated with a degree in commercial illustration and worked as a freelance illustrator for several years. He found himself always drawn to the beautiful places of the Colorado landscape. He started painting full time 10 years ago, and taking workshops from other artists has been instrumental in his continued growth.
His studio is at the foothills of Pikes Peak, Colorado, the gateway to the Rockies. “I am grateful to be so close to all the inspiration around me,” says Clibon. “[There are] varied landscapes from snowcapped peaks and rushing mountain streams, to lonely homesteads, an old weathered barn on the Eastern Plains or fall colors by old mining towns. Every season is so full of opportunities.”
Clibon enjoys painterly realism with texture and expression to create works that leave some mystery and interpretation. Whether painting on location or in the studio, his work is a testament to the land he loves.
“I appreciate that my paintings are the result of hours and hours of contemplative effort,” he says. “Years of observation and experimenting, joy and struggle. Behind the effort is, of course, the ‘spark’ or reason for painting in the first place. Someone coined the phrase ‘land snorkeling’ and walking through the landscape with that intention to discovery provides the inspiration. The other part is intently observing other artists I admire.”