COEUR d’ALENE — Local watercolor artist Jessica Bryant's fascination with landscapes began at a young age. 

“I’ve always loved them," Bryant said. "We took a lot of road trips with my family. I get car sick and could only look out the window to entertain myself, which is probably why I’m so visually oriented."

Driving through the Midwest offered an exciting backdrop for both in-person and artistic exploration.

“As I got older, I was exposed to more varied landscapes," Bryand said. "There was this odd desire to be a giant and be able to touch all of the hills, see the geological forms, and see how the earth came to be. It's just so fascinating.” 

Those experiences inspired Bryant to become a signature member of the American Watercolor Society.

“They actually allowed women from the very beginning when other people didn’t want to. It’s got this amazing historic legacy,” Bryant said. 

She learned her art had a place in the Western genre and also represented American history. It was more than just cowboys, spanning artistic traditions and styles originating in Europe and influencing global culture. 

“It’s a very welcoming arts subculture and that’s not the case everywhere,” Bryant said. “A lot of places you get a lot of ego and posturing.”   

Bryant served eight terms as an Artist-in-Residence for the National Park Service from 2011 to 2017. Her first solo show in May 2023 with Coeur d’Alene Galleries sold out.

“Every park is a little bit different — some you end up living in housing with a bunch of other rangers," Bryant said. "You end up making friends with the astronomers and paleontologists and all these different people. You can tag along on field work and see amazing things." 

Bryant experienced the Badlands, the Rocky Mountains, Joshua Tree and the Western Arctic National Parklands in the north of the Arctic Circle. She was also an artist-in-residence for the Bureau of Land Management and for the Idaho Conservation League.

“I got to learn so much,” Bryant said. “I like learning and I’m really interested and curious.”    

After several short-stint residencies, Bryant turned her attention to home. 

“Why am I going to other places to paint?” Bryant asked herself. “There's all of this abundance here. There’s no reason I couldn’t apply myself locally the way I do when I’m on a residency to see everything I could see.”  

One of her favorite local sources of inspiration is Tubbs Hill.

“I was at Art on the Green and it’s easy to tell who’s a fly fisher because they know the exact spot,” Bryant said. “We can trade stories because I may be painting, they may be fishing, but we see the exact same thing.”    

These days, she is doing her best to leave her imposter syndrome behind as she becomes one of two new guest artists for the prestigious 2026 Prix de West at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.  

"When you’re a creator you see the whole process you've lived through; you don’t just see the end result everyone else gets to see," Bryant said.