Distinctly Montana Magazine

bb U FCIDL BY KATE HOVE For artisans trying to eke out a living dur- ing the economic downturn, times are tough but artistic craftsmanship in Mon- tana still forges ahead. Those who marry the ornamental with the functional, such as these rural artisan furniture makers, possess rare talents. MIKE ROTHS, owner of BEAR PAW DESIGNS in Stevens- ville, incorporates the historic West into every one of his piec- es—to the umpteenth degree. Furniture legs made of hand-forged metal, complete with miniature barbed-wire fencing, emulate a rancher’s fence, while Winchester ammuni- tion boxes, and other times cowhide, double as cabinet door panels. In another piece, Roths designed a nine- foot-tall, nearly six- foot-wide freestanding cabinet that resembles the exterior of a ghost town saloon, swinging doors and all. It looks like a playhouse but the cabinet is entirely functional, with room for booze bottles aplenty. Roths is both practical and imaginative, with a quiet curiosity. “My furniture can’t be something that sits there and looks good,” he says. “It has to be used.” Another essential ingredient: It has to maintain the wonder of the West. A transplant himself, Roths seems almost destined for the West. Growing up in rural Iowa, Roths once played a stunt on local fisherman when he strapped homemade bear tracks to his boots and stomped around the riverbanks. For weeks local newspapers and TV stations buzzed with news of the sightings, hence the name for his business, Bear Paw Designs. “AN ANTLER SHOULD LOOK LIKE THE DAY IT FELL OFF THE ANIMAL’S HEAD.” – Jim Swanson JIM SWANSON, owner of ANTLER CHANDE- LIERS AND LIGHTING COMPANY in Sheridan, has collected upwards of 6,000 pounds of antlers. We’re talking thousands of sheds from moose, elk and various deer. He used to collect them as a hobby. Then they started to add up. “I needed to put them to some kind of use,” he says. So he made a light fixture out of them. Then he made another, and another. As a heavy equipment mechanic at the time, his skills came in handy. Swanson says, “In order to customize a piece for people I used my set of skills with welding and repairing components.” Seemingly, Swanson made a wise career choice. In the past 15 years, his clients have included Ralph Lauren, Sheryl Crow and New England Patriots tight-ends coach Jeff Davidson. “One time Ralph Lauren wanted a spider-shaped chandelier,” Swanson says. “Picture an outline of a spider on the floor, like a Spiderman logo. He envisioned it going over a ceiling in an alcove, so I made the chandelier for that spot.” The key to an impeccable chandelier: grade-A antlers. “The outer lines need to be appealing first. Then the color of the antler needs to be vibrant. Ivory tips with brown and chocolate colors. That’s what you get with an A-grade antler. The more 76 DISTINCTLY MONTANA • SUMMER 2011 SR M kE O KA TN M E K A VI E EE AN R L A P S’ UT T T R SE IN EH SU R W T O k

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