2025 Featured Artist:

"Grand Finale"

Colt Idol
Oil on Canvas
60" h x 50" 

A Change of Course

Raised in Whitefish, Montana, Colt Idol balanced basketball and art until knee injuries cut short his college career. With guidance from his sculptor father, he turned to painting—what began as a backup soon became his passion.

Painting the West with Purpose

Largely self-taught, Colt explored different media before settling on oil painting, drawn to its rich textures and expressive potential. His vivid, cinematic style reflects an obsession with color theory and light. "Now, I feel like I can create any color I can imagine," he says.

His work blends realism with romanticism, known for saturated tones and evocative light. That style reaches its peak in his 2025 featured piece: *The Grand Finale*.

The Grand Finale: A Masterpiece for the Mountains

Created for the Fall Arts Festival, *The Grand Finale* captures the Tetons at golden hour, their slopes aglow above a tranquil meadow of illuminated teepees.

"I knew the Tetons had to be the focal point," Colt says. "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 technical challenge, enhancing the narrative and visual depth. The title evokes the close of day, a moment of reflection, 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.