Monthly Archives: June 2020

Trans pride and power: action figures and stuffed trans mermaid doll!

2 Replies

Custom trans action figures by Suzanne Forbes June 24 2020 cuCustomized Black Trans Lives Matter protester action figures!

I bought these wrestling figures years ago with various projects in mind, but they have been sitting in the fodder drawer for too long and it was time for them to blossom!

Custom trans action figures by Suzanne Forbes June 24 2020I bought the figure on the right to customize for Stevie, the New Mutants dance teacher, for my X-Men dollhouse.

But wrestling figures are quite tall for 6″ scale, and she seemed muscular for a former ballerina.

Custom trans action figures in process by Suzanne Forbes June 24 2020So I made her a skirt out of an actual trans pride flag, with black ribbon added.

To wear to the protest that is happening on the balcony of my action figure dollhouse!

Custom trans actions figures protest by Suzanne Forbes June 24 2020Look at this group of beautiful people ready for justice!

My NECA Vasquez looks pissed off and with good reason. Our trans sisters and brothers are more vulnerable than ever as tensions everywhere increase. Support programs like @glits_inc and @theokraproject to get black trans people housed and fed, support @transsexworks here in Berlin to help vulnerable street SW’s, and sign up for the Queer Trans Mutual Aid Berlin Patreon to help queer and trans folx in Berlin get warm meals.

Of course I included red umbrellas, the symbol of support and solidarity with sex workers!

Custom trans action figures street protest by Suzanne Forbes June 24 2020Note the cis white woman at this protest is being useful as an armed honor guard off to the side.

Ready to Protect Black Trans People! Who are significantly more vulnerable everywhere, including at protests. Custom trans action figures and rement food setup by Suzanne Forbes June 25 2020After the protest the ladies feasted while my newly arrived Hasbro Ghostbusters Ernie kept up the protesting!

I also made this fluffy darling as part of my Pride Doll Art projects.

Commercially available Trans Mermaid doll adapted by Suzanne Forbes June 24 2020

Commercially available Trans Mermaid Stuffed Doll!

No, you cannot buy a trans mermaid dolly at Tiger or IKEA. Yet. But this is a vision of a world where kids can get stuffed dollies of all genders, BEYOND THE GENDER BINARY. We all deserve a world where trans toys are as common as cis toys. Meanwhile, @mermaidsgender is a great org I like to donate to when she who shall not be named does something hateful.

Much of the art of being an assemblage artist is simply HAVING STUFF AROUND.

Having materials around, having bits of things, having the tools to cut them up and the adhesives to glue them back together. I was at the Dutch store, TIGER, buying markers when I saw this stuffed mermaid doll. I knew, I knew instantly, that I had some black faux fur that precisely matched the doll’s fur. I instantly knew I could make a trans mermaid that would be adorable. So I bought the doll and brought it home. I did a quick look through my materials, knowing I had saved one last scrap of the fur after a project a couple years earlier.

But I could not find it. I have 25 drawers and 12 cabinets of materials and tools. I knew the tuft of fur would turn up eventually, so I put the doll in the Large Doll Parts drawer and moved on. A year and change later, last week, I came across that last tuft of the perfect fur, and glued it on.

It’s like having the plumber come fix your pipe – 1% is banging on the pipe, 99% is knowing where to hit.

As usual these images are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) for all to share and enjoy!

I am so grateful to my Patrons on Patreon, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me work safely at home.

 

Found, finished and scanned: the lost drawings of Dr. Sketchys Berlin “Broken Baroque”!

Leave a reply

Marijn van der Waa at Dr Sketchys Berlin Jan 28 2018 by Suzanne ForbesI actually produce so many drawings that I sometimes lose track of some of them.

Having a Patreon has reduced the orphan drawings rate enormously, but some still slip through the cracks! During the Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin Broken Baroque sessions, I did some large pastel drawings on Canson Mi Tientes paper. I tried to work on them at home, then abandoned them, as it was early days in my re-embracing of pastels.

Luckily, I just bought an A3 scanner and searched through my large drawings. I am so glad I found this drawing of beautiful artist Marijn van der Waa!

Evilyn Frantic at Dr Sketchys Berlin Broken Baroque Jan 28 2018 by Suzanne ForbesThese three portraits of sexy, spooky Evilyn Frantic merely needed to be finished.

I found it surprisingly easy, two and a half years later.

Evilyn Frantic and gent at Dr Sketchys Berlin Broken Baroque Jan 28 2018 by Suzanne ForbesHere we see Evilyn and a lad whose name I will have to get.

I was very nervous, two years ago, about how to handle the pale pastel shades.

Evilyn Frantic at Dr Sketchys Berlin Burlesque Week June 23 2020 by Suzanne ForbesNow I am confident!

Adding the watercolor brush pens has made a huge difference to my mixed-media drawing technique. They are physically pleasurable to use, as pastels are not for me. And they allow me to apply fine control to detail areas.

Mixed media art is all about finding what works for you – no rules, except consideration of issues of archival problems. I honestly do not know how my drawings of the last couple years will hold up over time. But since they are created to be shared online, I am kinda not fussed.

Yes, my lonnnnng art education instilled the value of archival materials. But it was pre-internet. And because in school I meant to be a fashion illustrator, then a comic artist, my intention was always to make work for mass distribution. Ephemeral, yet joyful 🙂

I am so blessed by my Patrons on Patreon, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to grow and develop as an artist.

As usual these drawings are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) for all to share and enjoy!

In addition, I release the copyright on each drawing to the performer shown and they may use the drawings for their own profit and pleeeasssure in any way they choose.