WEBCAMS
How the 2025 Featured Artist Found His Calling in Western Art—and Captured the Tetons in a Festival Masterpiece
A Change of Course
Colt Idol didn’t always plan on becoming a painter. Raised in Whitefish, Montana, he grew up with one foot in the world of art—his father was a professional sculptor—and the other on the basketball court. Art was more of a side hobby as he pursued a college basketball career at Montana State University. But when a series of knee injuries cut that path short, Colt had a choice to make.
At this point in my life I hadn’t seriously considered my future and it was time to do so,” he said.
With encouragement from his father, Colt stepped away from school and immersed himself in art. Within a year, painting moved from a fallback plan to a full-fledged passion. “I had maybe a year of experience at the time, but once I committed, everything clicked.”
Painting the West with Purpose
What followed was a self-guided crash course in artistic mastery. Colt took a few workshops but mainly relied on experimentation, reference books, and constant painting. He progressed through watercolor and gouache before landing on oil painting as his medium of choice. The transition wasn’t easy, but it became the foundation of his style: cinematic compositions, bold use of color, and light that feels almost tangible.
“I was obsessed with color theory and learning how to mix exactly what I was seeing,” he explained. “Now, I feel like I can create any color I can imagine.”
His paintings are known for their saturated tones and evocative light—both rooted in realism yet often bordering on the romantic. That combination is fully realized in his 2025 featured piece: “The Grand Finale.”
The Grand Finale: A Masterpiece for the Mountains
Created especially for the Fall Arts Festival, “The Grand Finale” is a luminous tribute to the Teton Range at golden hour. The jagged peaks are bathed in radiant amber and violet hues, their slopes catching the last light of day. Below, nestled in a dark meadow and reflected in calm waters, a group of glowing teepees radiates a warm, welcoming light.
“I knew the Tetons had to be the focal point,” Colt said. “But the teepees were essential too—for scale, interest, and honoring the cultural heritage of the region.”
The teepees add both a human element and narrative dimension, symbolizing timeless presence and cultural reverence. For Colt, they’re also technically rewarding—offering angles, texture, and light effects that elevate the visual story.
The piece’s title—The Grand Finale—is both poetic and intentional. It evokes the awe-filled ending of a day in the mountains, the quiet reflection of light and water, and Colt’s own artistic culmination.
The Grand Finale will be auctioned live during the Jackson Hole QuickDraw and featured on the limited-run 2025 Fall Arts Festival posters, making it a centerpiece of both the celebration and Colt’s career.
The QuickDraw: Art Under Pressure, Purpose in Motion
Though Colt Idol won’t be painting in this year’s Jackson Hole QuickDraw, he knows the challenge well—having participated five times. “Getting a painting done in 90 minutes? That’s tough,” he said. “You’re out of the studio, in the elements, with people watching every stroke.”
He views the QuickDraw not as a speed test, but as a showcase of practiced instinct. “You have to paint with confidence and purpose,” he explained. “It’s years of experience distilled into one intense moment.”
This year, as Featured Artist, Colt will deliver a speech and watch from the audience—something he’s looking forward to. “I’ve never really gotten to see the process from the outside. I’m just as mesmerized as the crowd.”
He also challenges the idea that quick work lacks value. “It’s the opposite,” he said. “The ability to create something meaningful that fast is only possible because of a lifetime of practice.”
The West, Jackson, and a Full Circle Moment
To Colt Idol, Jackson Hole isn’t just a scenic destination—it’s the heart of Western art. “I’ve always thought of Jackson as the Western art capital of the world,” he said. “There’s nothing else quite like it.”
Even before he ever showed in a gallery, Colt visited Jackson during his early years as a painter—roaming the Fall Arts Festival, gathering photo references, and quietly setting a goal. “It became something I thought about constantly. I just knew I had to be part of it one day.”
Now, years later, that vision has come full circle. As the 2025 Featured Artist, Colt returns not just to exhibit his work, but to be at the center of a festival that helped shape his aspirations.
His connection to the West goes far beyond geography. “Even if you didn’t grow up here, the West feels familiar,” he said. “It represents the unknown, the journey, the possibility.” That universal nostalgia—rooted in the wild landscape, the heritage, and the quiet freedom of wide open places—is something he strives to capture in every brushstroke.
A Festival Not to Miss
Whether you're a seasoned collector, a first-time festival-goer, or someone simply drawn to the wild beauty of the West, don’t miss the chance to witness Colt Idol’s work in person this September. The Grand Finale is just one part of the story—the Fall Arts Festival is where the rest unfolds.