From Paper to Plastic: The Concept Art of Kathleen Moody

By Jocelyn Cote 

The 1990s were certainly one of the most influential in Breyer’s history. The 90s are remembered fondly for the start of BreyerFest, the further extension of the model horse hobby into the worldwide phenomenon it is today, and of course, the work of artist Kathleen Moody.

This decade was the definition of the “changing of the guard.” Chris Hess, Breyer’s master mold-maker and the sculptor who defined the Breyer Animal Creations lineup in its first 35 years, passed away in 1987. Longtime staff members moved on from the company, and others were welcomed in. The size and scope of BreyerFest was growing each year. And, outside of the company walls, the model horse hobby was bigger than ever – the North American Nationals destination model horse show began, the Internet allowed for faster communication between hobbyists than ever before, and original equine sculptures cast in resin had become a hot commodity.

Kathleen Moody was reintroduced to the world of model horses in the mid-1980s after collecting as a child. She began remaking Breyer models into customs, and soon moved on to creating her own original sculptures to cast in resin. It was “Simply Splendid,” her sculpture of an Arabian stallion, that initially caught Breyer’s eye, and soon Kathleen had her first Breyer project on her hands: the upcoming fine porcelain “Evolution of the Horse” series, which started with her Icelandic horse in 1992. This also meant that Kathleen was one of the first model horse hobby artists Breyer worked with in an official capacity.

Kathleen's original concept art for the Fine Porcelain Icelandic

Kathleen’s knack for equine sculpture made her a great candidate for someone to create new molds for Breyer’s lineup. Her work brought Breyer into a newfound renaissance, capturing the expressiveness of the horse like no other artist had done before. This expressiveness also led the company to innovate its injection molding technologies – the pinnacle of which, during the 1990s, was Huckleberry Bey. Not only was “Huck” the first Breyer model to be able to stand with only two points of contact (one of which is supported by a small removable base), he was also the first Breyer model with “cutouts” in the mane and tail, which made the sculpture even more dynamic and eye-catching.

Kathleen is not only exceedingly talented at sculpting, but flatwork as well. At Breyer, she is known for her uncanny ability to draw concepts and sculptures at all angles completely from memory. She has always provided a wealth of material for her sculpture ideas. Let's dive into the concept art of her first two Traditional line sculptures for Breyer: Gem Twist and Big Ben, both of which happen to be portraits of famous show jumpers!

Gem Twist

Gem Twist (1979-2006), on the right in the photo above,  was a champion Thoroughbred gelding who excelled at the sport of show jumping, and is the only horse in history to win the title of “American Grand Prix Association Horse of the Year” three times. Gem’s Breyer model was the first sculpture that Kathleen would create for injection molding, and capturing the likeness of such a famous horse was no easy task.

Gem Twist was to be depicted as cantering, but in the early 1990s, bases for models were not an option. Early sketches depict three phases of the canter as possibilities, and the single hind footfall ended up as the final choice for the sculpture.

Early pose alternatives for Gem Twist

Because a base was not possible at this point in time, Kathleen had to engineer a way for the model to still be in the midst of the canter while balancing on its own. Thus, the pose was modified slightly to make Gem’s footfall on three hooves, rather than one – his left hind and right fore hooves were brought down slightly so the tips would touch the ground, making three points of contact for the model. With a bit of ingenuity, Breyer now had one of its most dynamic models ever produced.

Head position options for the final pose.

Kathleen’s final sketch for the model is nearly identical to the finished piece. This fellow was ready to leap over fences on the carpet or the show table! Gem Twist was first released in 1993. In addition to its namesake, the Gem Twist mold has featured the coats of many other notable sporthorses, including Biko, Authentic, and Snowman!

Big Ben

Big Ben (1976-1999) was one of Canada’s most beloved show jumpers. The Belgian Warmblood gelding, who stood a towering 17.3 hands high, collected over 40 Grand Prix titles during his career with his longtime owner and rider, Ian Millar. His impressive show record made him an excellent candidate for a Breyer model, especially one that would have a new sculpture created in the horse’s likeness.

Kathleen Moody soon got to work on her sculpture of Ben, which would be her second injection-molded plastic piece for Breyer. Kathleen was still very busy with Breyer’s porcelain line, now in the process of creating beautifully costumed horses for the “Premiere Fine Porcelain” series. Ben was certainly a “back to basics” project compared to these delicate works of art.

The concept art for Big Ben is a bit more varied than that for Gem Twist – Kathleen first started out with four poses to choose from: walking, jogging, cantering, and standing. 

Versions of Big Ben that were ultimately not meant to be.

Kathleen’s “jogging” design was eventually selected for production, with a slight modification to the head set. Ian Millar initially said that Ben’s sculpt was “too pretty!” The real-life Ben was a bit more raw and angular in conformation, but Kathleen’s sculpt was inspired not only by Ben himself, but his grandeur and spirit as well. Ian was more than happy to share his extraordinary partner with Breyer fans around the world, even if his 1:9 scale counterpart took a bit of positive artistic license.

We have a winner!

Big Ben’s final form has gone on to become one of Breyer’s most iconic sculptures – so iconic that he was chosen as the mascot for Breyer’s 70^th anniversary. Like Gem Twist, portraits of many other famous horses have appeared on Big Ben’s sculpture, such as Nautical and Brentina.

It is safe to say that the work of Kathleen Moody began a new era in the world of Breyer – because of her, an expressive and dynamic Breyer model became the norm rather than the exception. Her sculptures have a special air of whimsy that any horse fan, young or old, can appreciate. To date, she has created over 50 sculptures for Breyer – a number rivaled only by Chris Hess!

With this many sculptures under her belt, it’s no wonder that Kathleen’s wondrous style has become so tightly intertwined with the Breyer brand: a Moody horse is a horse picked straight from your dreams, ready to become a horse of your very own.

This article originally appeared as part of the June 2020 Breyer Collector Club Newsletter.