Suzanne Forbes, a New Yorker thriving in Berlin. Crowdfunded documentary art made possible by the generous support of her Patrons. https://www.patreon.com/SuzanneForbes.
This is Leah dancing the tango at El Valenciana in 2005.
I met Leah through my oldest friend, Victoria. Going to draw her dancing was one of my early conscious moments of “documentary drawing” of Bay Area culture.
The law office of Eugene Wong, 2002.
My second ex-husband was a foreign national, and Eugene managed the green card process. I believe our friend Shinsaku referred us to Eugene, who did a good job at a good price. I made this drawing on the back of some form while we were waiting one day.
Noise Party, Berkeley, 2004.
Logan and JD, close friends of my second ex-husband and I in the Oughts, gave marvelous parties, including ones called “Noise Parties”. Like a kind of John Cage experimental sound thing! For one of the early ones my ex and I wrapped ourselves in bubble wrap and rolled up the garden path, popping and crackling!
These drawings had been scanned but not posted, and were languishing in a backup file inside many folders.
I am so grateful to my Patrons on Patreon, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to take time to document my art archives.
I just barely got this custom GodXXX Noirphiles Barbie doll finished for the Mochallenge deadline!
I knew Tinu of DolliciousLife (my Dollicious post here) was doing another Barbie doll customisation/makeover Mochallenge in November. I wanted to join in again!
I thought of a Barbie inspired by the drag makeup looks of incredible Berlin creator Adrian Blount, AKA GodXXXNoirphiles.
I asked for and got Godx’ consent, and ordered the Barbies, all just ten days before the challenge began. So I hustled!
I used action figure customizing skills and Apoxie Sculpt to give Mermaid Dreamtopia Barbie’s tail to Fashionista Letterman Jacket Barbie.
The two Barbies were the only things I bought for the challenge – all other materials were from my stash. The Fashionista Barbie is really beautiful – you can see one in Tinu’s video here.
The “Trans Magic” tagline is a reference to a hilarious 90s Barbie collecting phenomenon, “Earring Magic Ken“, aka “Cock Ring Ken”.
I have lots of miniature trims and micro-rhinestones on hand for my action figure and dollhouse projects.
It was pure luck that some recently acquired holographic butterfly nail charms were pink and blue! And what luck that the Letterman Barbie’s jacket was already pink, white and blue, as I cut up my last mini trans flag for my trans action figure customs!
I knew I wanted to do a beard for GodXXXBarbie, as so many of Godx’s Drag looks incorporate beards. I had a TINY amount of exactly the right shade of blue nail flocking left over from my Trans Dino-Witch in 2017.
I painted GodXxXBarbie’s face with regular artist’s acrylic, mixed with interferent blue acrylic.
They (GodxBarbie’s pronouns are all of them, like GodXXX Noirphiles themself!) already had a gorgeous blue lip! The narrow lines of purple glitter on GodxBarbie’s face are nail art tape, 1mm wide.
And the little half-pearls, exactly like ones GodXXXNoirphiles wears in the video below, are nail art supplies too! Small buckles and studs come from Rio Rondo, who still haven’t updated their website. GodxBarbie is a Patron gift to GodXXX themselves of course!
I am so grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to continue making art as a vaccinated but Covid-vulnerable disabled person.
This is Leah dancing the tango at El Valenciana in 2005.
The law office of Eugene Wong, 2002.
Noise Party, Berkeley, 2004.
