Meet Colt Maule | Artist, Photographer, Explorer, Conservationist, Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Colt Maule and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Colt, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I look back onto my life, the vast majority of it feels like a blur. In between trying to survive with the seemingly never ending work, eat, sleep, repeat scenario, comes the rushing from place to place doing this and doing that, paying the bills, planning for this, reacting to that, with a scattering of evolving dreams and ambitions. The walk down memory lane can feel absolutely chaotic. However, I also have memories of moments and periods of time that stand out in stark contrast to, which was for my personality type, an unwanted mundane, auto pilot, groundhog’s day life I had found myself living at times. Post cards in my mind, where time is slowed and I can account for every action and detail because I was passionately enthralled or intensely focused with what I was doing. It was within those moments, where I was living life in the moment and living with intention, I found personal growth or felt truly alive, happy, and fulfilled. For me, these periods of time have aligned with adventurous travel and exploration of wild places, passionate love and loyal friendship, intense creativity, and extreme hardship and pain.
With the exception of the latter, my wife and I have been chasing these defining moments together for more than a decade. Years ago we both decided to leave behind our “civilized” lives and careers and instead celebrate and practice the art of “feralism”. When we are not living with the elements at our off grid home that sits at 10,700’ in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, we have roamed around North America living out of a truck, van, RV, trailer or tent for months or years at a time. Our legs and feet have carried us over mountain peaks and through sinuous slot canyons. Our hands have clung to rope, stone, trekking poles, handlebars, oars, paddles, and reins as we have rappelled, hiked, biked, paddled, climbed, or rode into some of the most remote and beautiful places still found on this continent. The delicate natural majesty our eyes have witnessed is absolutely astounding and the personal freedom and humble confidence we have found while exploring these wild reaches has been truly inspirational and blessed.
Art was born of these wild adventures, I couldn’t help it. I have always had a deep respect and reverence for wild lands, wild rivers, wild animals, and the wild experiences that come with them. I enjoy the focus and mental clarity of creating art and living in the moment. I crave the freedom, the drive. My camera captures the shadows of clouds racing over an intricately detailed canyon wall. My pallet knife traces the outlines of jagged mountain peaks. My brush dipped in river water brings a watercolor painting to life. Tree slabs come alive with contour lines seared into their grain. Each one is an inspired creation to hang upon your wall as a reminder of all of the wild experiences that exist beyond your front door.
A few years ago I decided to make it my life purpose to create artwork and capture photographs celebrating the conservation and preservation of our wild lands, wild rivers, and wild animals. I am thrilled and eternally grateful that protected wild places exist where one can find themselves and become part of this astounding natural world we live in. They have given me a purpose, a reason to create, to bring imagination to life. I wholeheartedly and genuinely hope my artwork will evoke the viewer and collector to protect that in which inspired the artwork, Wilderness.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
There is no question I thoroughly enjoy being immersed in the wilderness experiencing, witnessing, and capturing moments of vast beauty. I also relish and benefit from creating unique and original works of art celebrating that idea when I am not out there engaged in it. Maps, contour lines, topographical elements, depth, elevation, texture, and bold colors are elements of the artwork I create across a variety of mediums. Much of my art uses the natural element of wood. Trees have been a part of my entire life and I have a deep respect for them. During recent years of increased annual temperatures, our local forests have suffered devastating losses of life due to spruce, pine, and fir bark beetles. On my land, I fell these towering tree bones to mitigate for wildfire and improve forest health. This dead wood was turned into firewood to heat our off grid abode, but as we processed the wood I couldn’t help but notice the stark beauty I was handling between my hands. A hardened chunk of life defined by textured bark, elegant curves, and stories told in grain. One day while splitting our winter firewood I said to my wife, “I wish I could turn some of this beautiful wood into a form of art instead of throwing it all into the fire”. So I did.
Felled trees with unique characteristics are set aside and I eventually mill them into live edge slabs, feed them through a planer, and give them a fine sanding. Some pieces are turned into works of art and other pieces are used to make frames, charcuterie boards, and candle holders. Now each part of the tree has a new life before the scraps are turned into firewood and a tree that was killed by a changing climate can be used as an artistic statement to preserve our wild places. The first time I burnt on a newly slabbed piece of wood I carved in a river. It was as if the wood wanted the wandering lifeblood of a river seared into the poetic life story of it’s grain. Two souls bound together by the harmony of their coexistence, living together once again. This process felt so natural I couldn’t stop; I could hear the rush of the water and with each meander in the river, my mind was navigating my boat with the current. Each contour line I would imagine the wondrous terrain surrounding me. I created a living river.
When I am out immersed in the natural splendor of this magnificent Earth, my camera becomes an extension of myself and my surroundings, capturing the gorgeous and timeless landscapes around me; a preservation of these details, emotions, moments, created by Mother Nature forever memorialized in a photograph, a celebration of something so much more than our individual selves.
When I create my paintings, wood rivers, and mixed media landscapes, I strive to mimic details and emotions in ways that are different than the moments I capture with my camera. Within my photographs and works of art I seek to incorporate the story that inspired it: maps, river expeditions, backpacking trips, navigation, traveling harmoniously through the landscape. How something is created, what it is created with, and the story and meaning behind it’s creation are as important to me as the final product, all different parts to create a whole.

In life we are all one-of-a-kind, specific to ourselves, while at the same time we are all connected to the same whole. For me, what demonstrates and sets me apart in a unique sense from the whole is being an individual that pushes the boundaries of the norm in life and in my artistic creations. Every single slab of wood I carve or burn into is distinct to that specific piece of wood-no one piece of wood is the same. My photographs are one of one originals, enshrined in remarkable, handmade wooden frames that are one of a kind as well. Each piece of my art is it’s own story. The process of creation for me is as unique and outside the boundaries of the steps that you would normally expect an artist to take to complete a piece of art. From start to finish, I create nearly every link in the chain of creation that ultimately results in the finished piece of art. That process in itself is anything but typical. I lack running water and electricity. My pyrography pen is powered by a solar battery that feeds itself with sun rays. My shop is a 20 foot off grid shipping container nestled in the Rocky Mountains at nearly 11.000’, with tools powered by a generator. For nearly half the year, my surroundings are covered in feet of snow, blizzards raging around me, each finished piece of art transported for miles down a mountain via snowmobile. To paint, I camp out on our warmer Southwestern public lands because at home I lack a climate controlled environment and can’t prevent my paintings from freezing. In spite of all these hurdles and challenges, I believe it is very important for every possible aspect of the art to be produced by myself. I desire to be in the mix, creating each piece of art from conception to completion, allowing me to truly be a part of my art.

I have had a fantastic first season on the road selling art and am really looking forward to focusing on growing and expanding my creative ideas and bringing them to life/fruition. It is fulfilling and satisfying to be able to have the mindset capable of accomplishing feats that allow me to pursue my passion and be successful at it. As things fall into place, I am filled with anticipation as well for the opening of the Terrible Mountain Gallery in our hometown of Pitkin, CO during the summer of 2025.

I must admit, I would not consider “easy” to be used very often in my vocabulary with regards to my life’s path. I have done many things throughout my time thus far on this planet and they have all had their challenges. I either overcame those challenges or at times, succumbed to them. I would say so far, the greatest thing that I have learned from the multitude of trials I have faced in life is how to face them. Every one of those experiences has shaped me into the man I am today and the way I go about dealing with things. In regards to producing my art, I face these trials all of the time due to living off the grid, but these tests of mettle offer me the opportunity to find creative and outside-the-box ways to overcome different obstacles, and I feel that is vital in helping make me the artist that I am.

What should you know about me, what do I stand for? What do I want to express and share? I am one feral human being. I am part-civilized and part wild, akin to the world around me and just like my art. To myself and many others, the wilds are still home; a place where we can find inspiration from nature, a place where we can find ourselves and a tether to reality. As a human being I feel like most of my life is spent unintentionally destroying so I can exist in this modern society. Creating art helped nudge my world and my mind towards a better coexistence and understanding. I want the imprint of my being, my vision, my understanding, to be expressed in artistic form that evokes emotions and energy, thoughts and questions; to inspire the viewer to go outside and explore the landscape and revere the natural world they see in my art.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My best memories have been made by spending time outside in the wild places. So if I had a recommendation for something to do here in Colorado, it would be to enjoy the amazing public lands that we have here that were set aside for us to enjoy by wonderful men and women that had the forethought of protecting such places. Recreation is a great way to spend time outside but it also serves as a terrific distraction. Take time to enjoy the birdsong, the babble of the creek, and the beauty of silence. These things are becoming more and more rare as our species consumes and progresses. Be sure to savor these sacred things because they are becoming the rarity in the world. While you are outside, try drawing or painting; it is a fantastic way to focus, appreciate, or admire your surroundings without distraction and really treasure the beauty of the natural world. Always remember, we inherited our preserved lands and it is up to us and future generations to protect, preserve, and conserve what has been safeguarded. However, I love art-centric cities and quaint towns, so if you ever find yourself in the tiny town of Pitkin, Colorado, come visit us at the Terrible Mountain Gallery (opening summer of 2025). Take an art class from one of our gifted instructors or simply delight in viewing the beautiful selection of fine art, photography, jewelry, pottery, couture hats, and wares created by some very talented artists. While your visiting, say hello to our neighbors at the beautiful Pitkin Hotel and grab a delicious meal inside at the Bon Ton Bistro!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I must give a shoutout to any and all people that have defended our wild lands and wild neighbors. Without the forethought of conscious humans who came before myself and understood the importance of protecting wild places, I wouldn’t be presented with the wonderful opportunity to view these pristine landscapes sculpted by eons of time. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy moments of quiet solitude or the ability to seek enlightenment from something unmolested by the hands of humans and their ceaseless need to consume everything. I am thrilled and eternally grateful that protected wild places exist where one can find themselves and become part of this wonderful natural world we live in. I am proud and humbled to have this as my inspiration for my artwork, and I hope the art that I create awakens something within you to not only appreciate the wild lands they represent, but to understand the significance of the freedom found within them.

Website: https://www.terriblemountain.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrible.mountain/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrible.mountain/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Terrible.Mountain

Image Credits
Portrait: Tim Brown Photography
Art Photos: Colt Maule