Monthly Archives: August 2021

Drawing Rah Hell at Adenauerplatz, August 2021..

Rah Hell at Adenauerplatz by Suzanne Forbes August 27 2021I had another meet-and-draw, with Beloved Friend-Muse-Patron Rah Hell!!

Rah is one of my oldest Berlin friends, and has been an incredible muse to me. Drawing her playing the drums is one of the most fun challenges I’ve ever faced!

So since she won’t be in Berlin much longer, we had to meet up outside Graffiti and have a chat and a draw.

Rah Hell at Adenauerplatz by Suzanne Forbes August 27 2021Such a pleasure to see this dear friend and draw her familiar face.

As you can see from the scan above versus the photograph at the top of the post, it really is hard to convey how the pastels look in these drawings. But when I photograph drawings with the ipad, there is orthographic distortion. So it’s kind of a tough call.Rah Hell at Adenauerplatz by Suzanne Forbes August 27 2021 detail

In this case, the photograph looks so much better, even with a little distortion.

Rah will be performing with @felineandstrange at Steam Ball, a female-fronted alternative music festival, next weekend here in Berlin!!

I hope you will also check out Rah’s drum teaching Patreon 🙂

So grateful to longterm Patron Rah (who was my first German Patron!) and to all my other Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to continue making art as a vaccinated but Covid-vulnerable disabled person.

With your support, I can work from home or safely outside and keep telling the stories of Berlin.

Other drawings and portraits of Rah:

The most punk charity benefit.

The most gay rugby benefit.

With Alfred Ladylike at Art Stalker.

At The Night of The Living Drummesses!

At the Tom Petty tribute show Rah helped create.

New Year’s 2018, at Lagari.

More New Year’s 2018, at Lagari.

With The Erinyes at Art Stalker.

Band practice at the secret space.

My portrait of Rah hanging at Ludwig, the first painting I showed in Berlin.

Rah at Uke Boogie, a delightful event she created and ran for several years.

More Uke Boogie.

Rah filming Das Fluff at Monster Ronsons.

With Donut Heart at Arcanoa.

Starting the big portrait.

With Donut Heart onstage at the Lesbisches and Schwules (Gay and Lesbian) Festival.

My first time at Uke Boogie!

And the Donut Heart video release party, which was when my life in Berlin really crystallized and began.

I am so grateful to Rah for the belonging, friendship, inspiration and laughter she has given me during her Berlin years. I look forward to hearing about her further adventures.

A jeweled headpiece for Berlin artist Ixa Psyborg!

Headpiece for Ixa Psyborg by Suzanne Forbes August 2021There is of course a great tradition of figurative artists making accessories for favorite performers.

Alphonse Mucha designed jewelry for Sarah Bernhardt! So when someone inspires me with their style like Ixa Psyborg does, I find it quite reasonable to create something completely unique for them. And the timing worked out great with this piece!

Ixa has so much new music & art right now!

Check out their new music video for “Codex” out on Youtube, Codex streaming on soundcloud, and a new LP, “Androidgyne”, dropping on August 31.

Plus gigs all over town! Ixa is one of the performers at an incredible show this Sept. 5 at queer clubhouse Monster Ronsons – “Psychedelicious” features the original music of Berlin drag performers!

I outdid myself with this headpiece I must say!

Like the one I made for GodXXX Noirphiles, It is based on a transparent blue acrylic mask. The “horns” are made of Angelina Fantasy Film, custom cast UV resin crystals and butterflies, mermaid pearls, Swarovski crystals, jelly crystals, microbeads, glass beads and UV drips and drops, which are cured on the fly in the sun.

It is fairly light, and robustly constructed, so it can be worn on stage, flung around, packed in a costume suitcase, etc.

I drilled holes through the mask at the earpieces and wired the “horns” of Angelina Film on to make it structurally sound.

It takes a long time to make one of these!

Curing the UV resin is a very slow process, and getting the two sides balanced compositionally is really hard!

After each dendritic cluster of drips is formed, I add pearls, crystals, and microbeads, secured with glue.

Then I go back and secure everything with resin. Then more drips, curled colored craft wire, more microbeads (these have to be attached with glue because the surface tension of the resin is too high to hold their light weight) and more pearls.

It’s very satisfying and meditative!

As I have said before, I also see these pieces as psychonaut companions, a safe place to put your consciousness if a situation or psychedelic experience is challenging. You can drift off into their infinite detail quite peacefully!

Ixa Psyborg Berlin by Suzanne Forbes September 26 2020Here is the drawing I made of Ixa performing at twilight last year, with the colors that inspired the headpiece.

Ixa is on Insta, Youtube as Ixa Music, bandcamp, and Soundcloud. Check out this Berlin talent!!