Colin Brant (b. 1965, Arcata, California) paints immersive, highly detailed landscapes that merge art-historical reference with imaginative invention. Drawing on the compositional grandeur of the Hudson River School and 18th- and 19th-century European traditions, his works explore the persistence of beauty amid shifting ecologies and the tensions between the ideal and the real. Often beginning with plein air studies and sketches, Brant creates meticulously rendered scenes that incorporate unexpected details—anachronistic architecture, altered geographies, or invented flora and fauna—inviting viewers to consider how memory, history, and imagination shape our perception of place. He has exhibited widely in the United States and abroad, with solo shows at the Bennington Museum, Vermont; the University of Vermont; and The Painting Center, New York. His work is represented in numerous public and private collections, and his honors include fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Ballinglen Arts Foundation, and the Vermont Arts Council. Brant lives and works in Vermont, where the surrounding landscape remains an enduring source of inspiration.