HORSE HAIR TRIBE
Where Creativity is Limitless
horse hair jewelry / keepsakes - sterling silver and gemstone jewelry - fine art drawings - stained glass panels and jewelry - pine needle baskets
Welcome
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Welcome to the Horse Hair Tribe Studio. Please let me know if you have any questions about anything. You can click on the tabs above to bring you to the information you're looking for. I encourage you to explore anything that might interest you. Everything that you see on this website is made by me, so depending on what you're looking to order, it may take a few weeks to complete your order.
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About the artist:
My name is Mandy Diedrich. I was born and raised in Minnesota. I am a veterinary technician, horse trainer and artist. I have a huge passion for wildlife conservation and nature. I've developed my skills over years of practice and curiosity. I've been training horse's since 2008. I became a veterinary technician in 2012 and have worked with reptiles, birds, dogs and cats, pocket pets, horses, alpacas, pigs and goats. I've also been breeding and raising betta fish for the last year.
I started drawing when I was about 2 years old or so. I took two fine art drawing classes in high school but that's the extent of my art lessons. I didn't start to be serious about drawing until 2019 when I really began to develop my skills as a realism artist. Since then, my skills have kept improving.
Besides drawing I keep developing more and more interests which eventually turn into self taught skills. Please look below to learn more about my various passions.
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Art Classes
I am currently looking for a few venues to hold some of my art classes at. If you're interested in working with me, please email me at mandydiedrich91@gmail.com
Class sizes can be one on one or in groups of up to 6 people.
Classes that I currently offer:
Introduction to Stained Glass
Introduction to Watercolor
Introduction to Horse Hair Jewelry Making
Abstract Acrylic Painting and Pouring
Painting Ceramics with Alcohol Ink
Introduction to Pine Needle Basketry
Introduction to Drawing in Realism in Charcoal
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I've been an equine technician since 2017. After a year of working as an equine tech I saw many people lose their horses and take their horse's hair as a way to remember them. I would hear so many people say they're had their horse's hair for years and didn't know what to do with it. I decided to use my love of braiding horse hair and develop a way to make horse hair jewelry and keepsakes. I now make a wide range of jewelry and keepsake designs to offer to my clients to help commemorate their horses.
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I know it might not look like it but I started making stained glass panels in March 2021. The panel pictured to the right is the first panel I made. I made it for my sister for her graduation from Physical Therapy school at St. Catherine University. This piece took me about 2 weeks working on it after work. I've learned a lot since then and now I'm taking custom orders. Click on the picture to be taken to see all the stained glass pieces I've made.
I am also available to teach private lessons if you want to learn how to make stained glass at home. You can either come to my home or I can bring everything to your house (cost is higher if I come to your house)
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I've been making pine needle baskets since spring of 2020. I've used Youtube videos and books to learn how to make baskets out of pine needles. Now, I can offer my services to make baskets out of pine needles from a place of deep meaning to you. Then, you can have a basket from a treasured memory to keep forever. I also take requests for other custom pine needle baskets in which you choose the color of the thread, type of stitch, beads and how large you would like the basket.
Most of the pine needles I use are from the pine needles I've harvested off the forest floors of Minnesota.
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Like most kids, I drew a lot starting when I was old enough to hold a marker, but my interest is what took me to the level I'm at now. I'm self taught through studying Youtube videos and a lot of practicing techniques. My passion has always been animals, so they have been my biggest inspiration for my art. I love realism. The challenge of drawing something so people think they're looking at a photograph is another reason why I love drawing. Even though my favorite subject to draw is animals I also drawing human portraits (I love drawing babies) and I can draw landscapes or objects. I accept commissions for any of these subjects. However, there are strict requirements the reference photo needs to meet before I can accept drawing a portrait. Click the owl to learn more...
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Like I said for my charcoal drawings, animals are my passion and have been my biggest inspiration to draw.
I started drawing in soft pastels in 2020 and they have been significantly more challenging than charcoal. They are similar to working with oil paints- you work from dark to light. Working in color has been difficult but rewarding. The paper alone is a lot more expensive than what I use for charcoal. In fact, everything about soft pastels are more expensive and it takes longer to draw in soft pastels because you have to layer the colors to get the subject to look real. For all these reasons, making a custom portrait is more expensive than charcoal portraits. To learn more, click the red panda I drew on the left.
These abstract acrylic paintings are something that bring real relaxation, flow and joy to my art. Some paintings even contain gold or silver leaf. Nature of course is my inspiration.
I will have more paintings for sale soon.
Please take a look at what I have for sale now by clicking on the photo of one of my paintings to the right:
Prices vary depending on the painting.
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I've been working at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival since 2012 working with the Jousting War Horses. I braided all the girls' hair that I worked with at the jousting arena.
As a result, I developed a lot of "renaissance" hair styles.
If you have a party or an event you need your hair done for, you can hire me to come to your house and do your hair, along with any of your family members or friends.
Click on the photo to learn more...
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