Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 69 T HEY HAVE MUSCLE, MOXIE AND MIGHT. ey hammer and strive under the premise that metal is forever. In the process, they've proved that there are no boundaries in art. Brenda Stredwick. Nikki Gulick. Brittany Comeaux. ree welders working with raw materials, determined to do the best they can. by BRIAN D'AMBROSIO NIKKI GULICK, IRON HORSE METAL, FAIRFIELD Turning rubbish into something redeemable is also one of the un- derpinnings of another metal artist named Nikki Gulick, owner of Iron Horse Metal, in Fairfield. Nikki's business too started as a hobby, sometime around 2011. e business has had its fits and starts and while she still enjoys farming and ranching—raising cattle and running hay on the side—she's man- aged to eke out a living creating and selling her metal art. A native of Fairfield and 2004 graduate of Fairfield High School, Nikki's exposure to farming, ranching, and welding started at birth. Her father, Dave, had been a plasma welder and he taught Nikki how to hold and manage a plasma cutter. Several years ago, her parents asked her to design an iron farm and ranch sign, one that the folks could dangle at the entrance to their driveway. e commission provided Nikki was an opportunity to nurture her creativity. "It was something that intrigued me," said Nikki. "I learned how to work at it (metal art), and I started ordering other things, and it took off like wildfire. I made a coat rack for myself and some small things and then I had a stock- pile of stuff to show and sell at festivals and shows. " Nikki loved the feeling of the process, the experimentation of metal, the ability to showcase a vision, and, mostly, the way that art enlivened the dormant longing within to create. She loved practicing art while in high school, gravitating primarily to painting and pencil drawing. But metal was special; it expanded her vision in a method that fine arts didn't. "I like wildlife and western and ranching stuff, and while I don't con- sider it super-feminine, people tell me things like, 'your elk is much more feminine than what a guy would do.' I get that type of compliment a lot." Nikki said that when she is the recipient of a chauvinistic comment or a flippant remark about her gender, she uses such moments as op- portunities to smile and to sell. "ere are men who won't believe me when I tell them that this is what I do, and, yes, I can do it all alone. But then, it seems like once that's aside, they are almost more willing to buy from me. roughout the years, she acquired the confidence to bravely repur- pose some of her clients' family heirlooms, such as milk cans, shovels and saws. "It's nerve-racking to take great-grandma's special shovel and old saw and cut names into them. ey've come out well so far, and that's a good feeling." Tending to children, welding, posting photos of her work to social media, and handling all of the other essentials of the business side of things are all in a day's work for Gulick. Her life is packed. Her life is pleasant. She has no complaints. PEOPLE TELL ME THINGS LIKE, 'YOUR ELK IS MUCH MORE FEMININE THAN WHAT A GUY WOULD DO.'

• Cover