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Tuesday September 24, 2013 Edition
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Creating Art In Miniature Form: Meet Artist Emily McFadden

Since she was a little girl, art and horses have been two passions of Emily McFadden. Today she blends both for a very unique career.
photo provided
Since she was a little girl, art and horses have been two passions of Emily McFadden. Today she blends both for a very unique career.
With precision, skill and a lot of love, artist Emily McFadden crafts tack for the famous Breyer horse line.
photo provided
With precision, skill and a lot of love, artist Emily McFadden crafts tack for the famous Breyer horse line.

Tuesday September 24, 2013

By Cookie Steponaitis

There is just something about the connection among little girls and horses that is passionate and will often last a lifetime. The same can be said about artist Emily McFadden and her sister. As children they could not have a horse in their backyard so their parents bought the girls horse magazines and treasured Breyer model horses. It was not until 1990 that Emily learned through an article in the Horse Illustrated Magazine about the huge Model Horse Bobby network. Emily met with collectors who owned real horses but made miniature tack for their model horses and began to explore this aspect of the hobby market. She discovered that miniature tack making fired her imagination. “I started making my own miniature tack after purchasing a few items from other hobbyists,” shared Emily. “I was intrigued by and thrilled with the amount of detail that went into the halters and bridles they made but I also thought I can do this myself.”
    Emily, like other artists with a specialty that is exacting and detail related spent a great deal of time researching and creating a reference library that contained not only modern tack but vintage saddles, bridles and riding equipment spanning continents and eras. Emily incorporated authentic materials like leather, rawhide, miniature buckles and bits cast in pewter, brass and white bronze in addition to photos.  Emily started her own business in 2007 creating her unique niche in the equestrian art world with sewing, braiding, knot work, wire working and jewelry making for specific bridles that include metal buckles and leather craft. Emily McFadden now works for Breyer Horse and makes their custom bridles, halters and harnesses for their model horses with exacting precision and attention to detail. “It can take a couple of hours for me to make barn halters and simpler bridles,” commented Emily. “Sometimes it can take to a few days with the fancier silver show halters and more complex bridles to a couple of weeks with harnesses and full saddle sets. It also depends on if I have to dye, finish and condition the leather myself or if I use pre-dyed materials which obviously helps production time go more quickly. I try to be as exacting as possible with details but when working in miniature sometimes simplification is necessary. For example, model English stirrup leathers are strung onto jump rings sewn into the saddle skirts rather than with bars as one would do on a real saddle.”
The tools of her trade include X-Acto blades, scissors, burnishing tools, Tailor’s Awl, dental scalers, jeweler’s files, pliers, wire cutters, pounce wheel, hole punches and metal tipped mechanical pencils. While Emily admits that hand-eye coordination skills are important and that she has a keen eye for tiny details it is the passion for horses, collecting and Breyer’s exacting standards that offers her this unique artistic career.
    If you are interested in pursuing a career in art Emily encourages you to first do your research and build up a good reference library on the forms of art you are interested in. Seek out new information, take notes, ask questions, save photos and do not be afraid to experiment. “Keep learning and trying,” shared Emily. “Keep your earlier work around and learn from it to create something better.” Emily encourages readers of the Valley Voice to contact her at her website ghostwolfranch.weebly.com and that her type of artistic endeavor is only one small part of the horse hobby business that has continued to thrive and diversify since the early 1960’s.
    Of all of the Breyer Horse Models she has worked on, Emily was most delighted to work on the John Henry sculpted model. “He was a very famous Thoroughbred and is one of the most versatile models they’ve ever produced. I can make anything for him from the barn halters to Western saddle sets and even marathon harnesses.” It started when she was a little girl and Emily McFadden is one of the rare individuals who can say as an adult they have found a way to merge the passions of their youth into the career of their adult life.  Her artistry is another example of the innovative and diversified artistic skill sets Vermonters possess who live, work and continues to blend the world of art, agriculture and personal choice into viable career outlets. The Valley Voice salutes Emily and all who are able to find the bridge between who they are as individuals and a world market that allows them their own special niche in it.


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