This hobby’s 24 ka-RAT gold

Manor Park resident dedicates her downtime to produce unique artwork

She readily admits her ‘hobby’ would be considered “weird” by many people — gross even. But a closer dive into artist Émilie C-M’s world reveals a vivid imagination and dedication to her craft few would be able to match.

That hobby is anthropomorphic taxidermy, an art form that dates back to the Victorian era. What’s that, you ask? It features taxidermied animals — in this case, rats — posed, dressed and placed in scenes that speak to the creator and the viewer. 

It started back in 2020 for the Manor Park resident. 

The federal public servant says she always had a fascination with taxidermy and this was her chance to try her hand at it. 

“It was kind of a pandemic hobby. I was only going to make one (rat) to start,”  Émilie says. 

That one was a loving creation she named Ernest, a medium-sized rat — a crown of flowers in his hair, carrying a bouquet of roses — presented to her husband Andrew for Valentine’s Day, 2021. 

From there, things just took off. To date, Émilie has created 90 characters. 

“I loved it … it went so well that it just ballooned into this enormous, all-consuming hobby.”

Self-taught

Émilie says she taught herself how to taxidermy the small animals by reading a lot on the subject and watching videos online.

She purchases frozen feeder rats — used to feed snakes and lizards — from a downtown pet store and stores them in her freezer. 

The taxidermy process itself takes 90 minutes to two hours to complete. It requires gently removing the pelt, cleaning it with borax, then using a wire armature along with a combination of plastic foam, Poly-fil and air-dry clay to fill and position her subject. Once the pelt is placed on the desired form, it can take up to two weeks to dry, “and then,” explains Émilie, “they are basically eternal.”

She refreezes what was removed from the rat. A couple of times a year, Émilie takes the meat to her sister’s place in the country and feeds the wildlife. “No waste, and some very happy wildlife!” she notes.

Her interest in rodents and taxidermy goes back to her childhood, having grown up on a farm. 

“I’ve always liked rodents,” she says. “People hate them and I understand why … but rats are actually really awesome.”

Dioramas

While the taxidermy process takes a relatively short time to complete, the dioramas in which the figures are placed have become much more time-consuming. Given their complexity, all based loosely on doll house scaling, each one now takes from 40 to 50 hours, from start to finish.

At first Émilie bought the accessories, “but as time went on, I became more and more particular about what I wanted.” 

Certain items — like a 1950s fridge or stove in one kitchen scene — are 3D printed in her basement workshop with assistance from her husband. Tiny plates of food are cast out of resin, even the furnishings are created by hand. Émilie makes her own wigs using doll hair wefts. She painstakingly coils, styles (cuts and straightens) and glues the hair in place. And she sews pieces of material, much of it recycled, together for clothing and other outfits.

“It’s not a (single) hobby,” Émilie says. “It’s like 15 hobbies, because you’ve got to do some sewing, some woodwork, terrain building and sculpting.”

Then there’s the Photoshopping required for the ‘authentic’ miniature wall decor. For example, a movie scene features unique tiny posters spotlighting ‘Invasion of the Space Rats’ and ‘The Rat from Planet X’. 

The attention to detail is remarkable, with seemingly no limits to Émilie’s imagination. 

“That’s my favourite part of all of it, just honing in on the details.”

Evolution 

The designs and themes, most focused on the 1960s and ’70s, have become more complex over time. Her skills continue to evolve and improve. 

“I made a conscious decision to incorporate more elaborate concepts,” Émilie says, noting she’s always learning. 

The use of resin to mimic raindrops outside the Monterey Rat Cheese Shoppe is one example.

While she tells herself she’d like to keep things simple, her creativity and drive won’t allow it. 

“It’s weird, this is the first time I’ve had something this regular … four-and-a-half years of the same hobby,” she explains. “It’s basically all I want to do.”

Just about every weekend and some evenings are devoted to her hobby. “It’s wonderful,” she adds.

In fact, the only thing limiting Émilie’s creativity is space — or lack thereof — to store all the dioramas. 

To make room, she’s given many away to family and friends. In November 2024, she started selling them through Facebook Marketplace and her Instagram account, where she goes by efromtheinternet. She also has some creations on rotation at the Hobby House on Montreal Road. 

“Some people may hear about me there.”

Six have sold so far, ranging from $100 to $250, though money is not a motivating factor.

“The primary point is not to make something so people buy it, it’s to make something I want,” she says. “I just need the space.” 

Favourites

Each piece is special but there are several Émilie would never part with. 

There’s ‘Neil’, the dashing young man walking in the rain under a bright, yellow umbrella, his bags full after shopping at the Monterey Rat Cheese Shoppe. 

And stop in at the Hobby House to view another special creation.

“I managed to score the case of an old TV from the ’70s. It’s been gutted and I built a diorama inside of it. I would not sell that one.”

Hobby House owner Roger Desmarais says he’s been featuring Émilie’s pieces in his store for several years and is amazed by the complexity of her work. 

“I was sort of shocked (at first) when she said exactly what it is. Then … you see the creativity, the workmanship, and everything that goes into it,” he says. “It kind of blew me away and they (dioramas) just seem to be getting better and better.”

His customers have the same reaction, he says. ‘Lots of people come in and they’re just amazed at them.”

In the future, Émilie says she will continue to create, doing what she loves best. 

“I always joke that if I won the lottery, I would basically open a museum and a workshop, then do that all day,” she says with a smile. 

These would run along the lines of the Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington, Alberta. It features more than 70 stuffed gophers in a variety of poses and scenes. According to Wikipedia, it attracts close to 10,000 visitors each year. 

“If nothing changes and it just keeps going the way it is, I would be perfectly happy,” says Émilie. “I’m not stopping anytime soon.”