The World of Dick Idol
First a little history…
In his younger days, Dick Idol grew up in the rural countryside of North Carolina where he spent most of his time in the woods and playing sports. As an athlete, he attended North Carolina State University on a football and baseball scholarship and was a member of the famous “White Shoe Defense” which was the number one team in the nation and winner of the Liberty Bowl. As a result, he received offers to play in the NFL. But…..his passion was always the outdoors.
Over the last several decades, Dick’s uncharted path has taken him down a road unparalleled in the outdoor world. After college, Dick moved to Alaska where he owned and operated one of the top taxidermy businesses, which eventually evolved to include guiding, outfitting and booking hunts for big game clients around the world. With a degree in Wildlife Biology, Dick subsequently spent many years actively pursuing his outdoor passions of hunting, taxidermy and guiding in Alaska, Africa, the West and most other big game frontiers of the 70’s and 80’s.
The Whitetails…
In the 1970’s Dick began to focus on his special interest, Whitetail deer. He spent more than 40 years amassing the greatest collections of famous Whitetail deer antlers in the world, including the famous Hole in the Horn buck, both archery typical and non-typical world records, many state records and generally the largest and most well-known Whitetails in North America. (Based on the Boone and Crockett scoring system). Today, the collection resides in the Bass-Pro Museum in Springfield Missouri.
In the early 1980’s he co-founded North American Whitetail Magazine with “Game and Fish Publications”. Dick became its most featured writer and photographer, publishing hundreds of articles and photographs. The magazine quickly became number one in the industry and remains in that position today.
Dick launched a show circuit in the 1980’s displaying his whitetail collection, which has been exhibited across most of North America. At most shows Dick was the featured expert speaker and outdoor personality. During this period, Dick co-founded the first “Whitetail Show” called the “Dixie Deer Classic” in Raleigh, N.C. and he would continue on to help other states establish their own shows.
Dick Idol products and Cabela’s…
Over a period of decades, Dick became involved in many facets related to Whitetails and the outdoor world in general. He has regularly appeared in Cabela’s catalogue as a clothing designer, endorser and model for clothing. He also made numerous appearances as a brand personality and speaker at Bass Pro Shops, L.L.Bean, Safari Club, NRA functions and at most of the outdoor shows across the country.There are numerous lines of outdoor products on the market bearing his name including books, videos, outdoor apparel, television shows and functional outdoor products to name a few. He has become an icon in the outdoor world and especially in the realm of Whitetail deer.
The Dick Idol Lifestyle Brand…
In the mid -1990’s, Dick parlayed his notoriety in the outdoor world into the Dick Idol Lifestyle Brand. Since that time, the “Dick Idol” brand has been the label on thousands of products that include furniture, accessories, lighting, floor coverings, wall décor and many other product categories. During this period he used his artistic and design skills, as well as name recognition, to become one of the most widely recognized outdoor brand personalities in the Home Furnishing Industry. His combination of artwork in many forms and unique design capabilities have been infused into thousands of products sold worldwide through brand licensees.
Today, his current collections of furniture are sold through stores nationwide, can be found at:
Passion for Art…
In the early 1990’s, Dick finally recognized that his greatest passion, and perhaps his strongest talent, was in the world of art. He embraced drawing, painting and sculpture and became a student of fine art. Finally, his passion and love for the outdoors and its wildlife, landscapes and beauty could now be expressed in visual terms.
More than ever, Dick Idol is translating his passion for the outdoors and art into timeless creations in many art forms. He has been successful at incorporating his artwork, both flat and dimensional in many forms of functional products, while at the same time, marketing his fine art (paintings and sculptures) across several lifestyle categories.
Bronze Works…
The scope of Dick’s bronze work includes smaller tabletop editions, bas relief, lobby and mid-size sculptures, and some of the largest, most dramatic and complex bronze monuments in North America. His work has become internationally known for its portrayal of dramatic action, true to life gestures, stunning anatomical correctness, and an overall bronze presentation unmatched in today’s art world. Since 1993 Dick has created over 100 sold out bronze editions and hundreds of bas reliefs and three dimensional works that have been used in a wide array of functional products such as furniture, accessories, lighting etc.
Interactive Bronze Monuments…
His most profound contribution to the bronze monument world is what Dick has coined “Interactive Bronze Monuments” whereby numerous sensory elements are incorporated for maximum viewer interaction. The judicious use of moving and static water, special lighting features above and below the waterline, forms of audio such as waterfall noise and music, artificial and natural stonescapes, landscaping, light and water shows, etc. all add up to maximum “WOW” power.
Original Paintings and Giclee Prints…
Dick’s paintings are generally done in oils and are widely known for their dramatic lighting, creative composition, attention to detail and use of action poses and gestures. Most collectors have come to recognize and appreciate his extensive experience in the outdoors and his accurate understanding of anatomy, scale and gesture.
Dick Idol Signature Gallery…
In early 2012, Dick and his wife, Toni Rae opened the Dick Idol Signature Gallery, a fine art gallery located in beautiful downtown Whitefish, Montana. It has quickly become one of the premier fine art galleries in the Northwest. The gallery represents a large number of regional and nationally recognized artists whose work includes painting, sculpture, and outstanding works in other mediums. The gallery offers a wide range of styles from traditional, impressionistic, to contemporary.
Today…
Dick Idol is one of America’s best known authentic outdoorsman, artist and brand personalities. In 2012, Dick was inducted into the Outdoor Legends Hall of Fame and in the same year was also the first to be inducted into his high school Athletic Hall of Fame. Dick and his wife, Toni Rae reside in Whitefish, Montana, next to Glacier National Park.
