Tag Archives: portraiture

The Pansy’s Birthday shows of Pansy’s House of Presents!

Dalaa for Giezas Poke House June 9 by Suzanne Forbes July 8 2020So many incredible performances for Pansy’s birthday!

Dalaa is a fantastic dancer; she was in the first half of the fab evening on Gieza’s Poke House.

If it were not for lockdown, I might never have gotten a chance to draw beauties like Dalaa. Getting across town to Monster Ronson’s is a huge effect for me, and one I am usually only able to make a couple times a year.

Katana Six for Giezas Poke House June 9 by Suzanne Forbes July 8 2020So I am very glad to be able to see every single Poke House and House of Presents show, for this period of time.

You can watch Gieza’s Poke House and Pansy’s House of Presents in Quarantine EVERY TUESDAY at 21:00 for The Poke House and 22h CET for House of Presents!

And see new-to-the-Pokehouse performers like the marvelous, gorgeous Katana Six!

Alexander Cameltoe for Pansys House of Presents June 9 by Suzanne Forbes July 8 2020Always a joy to see and draw Alexander Cameltoe.

Alexander’s show for Pansy’s birthday started in their workshop, which is loaded with tool goodness. Intergalactic Trash Prince  Alexander answered the Batphone and then proceeded to a gorgeous art-laden altar.

Pansy by Suzanne Forbes July 9 2020Note, I did not draw Pansy on her actual birthday.

She was dressed as an adorable baby, and I do not like children unless they are my friends’ children. So this is a drawing of Pansy from another show, when she was dressed as an adorable diner waitress bunny!

BIG NEWS: Pansy’s Pop-Up Pantry is HAPPENING Aug 2!!!

Pansy has been doing a fantastic series on her Insta stories called Pansy’s Pantry, where she demonstrates the baking of fabulous treats, with recipe, and provides education and tips for activism. Now the Pantry is coming to IRL life for a hot summer day!

You can pre-order her legendary key lime pie for pick-up here!

And always, I am so grateful to my Patrons on Patreon, whose monthly financial support lets me keep documenting Berlin’s queer, intersectional drag performers while I work safely at home.

Hartford days part 2: the coffee shop art-kids.

At West Hartford starbucks Nov 5 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesI have received more free coffee from Starbucks than probably anyone in the world.

During a period when I drank quite a LOT of coffee, I happened to make friends with some very cool art school kids who all worked at the Starbucks in West Hartford. It was across the street from the Animation Art Gallery where I worked from Fall ’95 to Spring ’96.

Woman at West Hartford Starbucks Nov 6 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesMy comic book had been cancelled, and I was no longer drawing for a living.

I went to work as a courtroom artist during my last year of art school, and went right into comics from TV news. So I had been drawing all day, most days, for years. Having a day job again was a big change.

Sean at Starbucks October 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesWhat did I do as soon as I started my day job?

I went back to drawing portraits in my free time! The more I look at my own history as an artist, the more I understand that I have always been a portraitist.

drawn at Starbucks October 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesAny attempt to do anything other portraiture has always ended in tears for me!

My true love and true nature is making pictures of people.

Steve as Han October 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesSo when I met Amy, Steve, Sean, Chad and Kevin and their circle of friends, I drew them.

This is Steve as Han Solo, for a gift I made for him.

Amy as Leia October 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesAmy as Leia!

I was so lucky to meet Amy. I hope she is doing well. More pictures of her in the previous post. The group of artists and writers she was part of were so smart and creative.

Sean working at Starbucks October 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesOf course, having a day job meant I had to be at the gallery by 10 a.m.

Which was pretty goddam hard on me. Not being a freelancer/self-employed person anymore felt like being on vacation, but the getting up in the morning sucked. I have a circadian rhythm disorder called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, and it is no joke.

Luckily, my friends behind the counter gave me all the free coffee I needed! I would waltz in multiple times a day and they would just hand me coffee.

Portrait at Starbucks October 1995 by Rachel Ketchum aka Suzanne ForbesI was fortunate as hell to meet some cool people after landing in a town where I didn’t know anyone but family.

I’ve always had a lot of luck of both kinds.

I had completely forgotten these drawings existed. None of them had ever been photographed; until now, no record of them existed – if we had a fire or flood they would just be gone forever.

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.