Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 72 BRITTANY COMEAUX, LADYFORGE JEWELRY, HELENA Brittany Comeaux, owner of LadyForge Jewelry, thrives on sub- stance, her style influenced by the availability of unorthodox materials. Her hand-forged jewelry employs relics to generate art and dialogue. Necklaces are inspired by her drive to rework the aged with a fresh story. Bracelets, rings, and earrings satisfy her craving to express the charm of change. Her substance exists in the form of oxidized draw pulleys, railroad nail heads, or skeleton keys, or even antique poker chips or shiny, weighty coins—some materials she senses as ripe for creating works of art. She's not looking at these items as things which have been lost; she's always looking at what fortune has left—and what's left she does her best to enhance. "ere are layers of stories to the old pieces," said Brittany. "You can remix them with a new vibe, and when you do, you don't lose the old story. is kind of art to me is much more multi-dimensional because of that. ere's the attention to detail involved and the pride of manufac- turing… To me, this art feels substantial. e possibilities are endless. If I am working steady and I'm positive, and if I can keep on open mind, I can take a rusty metal piece and make a necklace out of it." e artist in Brittany honors once-beloved personal artifacts and adds a bit of herself to the finish. She wants her art to tell the tale of the item—perhaps it's a 100-year-old salt or jelly spoon, or a baroque pearl singled out from a mid-20th century necklace—but also a little bit of her story, too. Born in Great Falls, Brittany, who formerly dealt in antiques in Oklahoma, took a break several years ago from collecting material to re- purpose as art. "Because it snowballs. Stones. Necklaces. Coins. Skeleton keys. ey took over my house." Using such recycled materials, she believes, is a good opportunity to make some type of comment about both overconsumption and the act of simplicity. Indeed, her required tools are few and overhead relatively lean: a nylon mallet; a mandrel tool; a couple of blocks of wood to shape the rings; a mechanic's grade stamp set; a decent torch; a Fordham drill. "Working (at my art) gives me the freedom to work early in the morning," said Brittany. "It feels good to obsess and to have everything else take a back seat for a while." "TO ME, THIS ART FEELS SUBSTANTIAL. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS."

• Cover