Tag Archives: Extravagant Shambles

Portrait of Cadbury Parfait, first sitting!

Portrait of Cadbury Parfait work in process June 2019 by Suzanne ForbesThe minute I met Berlin burlesque producer and performer Cadbury Parfait, I wanted to paint her picture.

She is exceptionally beautiful, and she has fantastic personal style, grace and power. She performs and produces wonderfully naughty, sexy, political, intersectional burlesque shows. Plus, she’s funny!

So we scheduled a sitting, which is challenging because she’s one of the busiest people in the Berlin burlesque scene, and got started. I had a fine large canvas given to me by one of my Patrons, and it is thrilling to be working large again.

I really prefer to paint on the biggest canvas possible for a home studio, so the subject’s figure is one third to one half life-size. We settled on her 1930s style Voodoo Vixen gown in sapphire blue velvet for Cadbury’s outfit, and kept everything else simple and natural.

As sometimes happen, I lost the thread during the process – I made good headway to capturing her likeness and proportions, then screwed it up. This is an almost inevitable part of the portrait painting process; there’s generally at least one point where I almost have it and then lose it, either by accident or design.

So while much of the structure you see is a good foundation, the essential spirit and humor of Cadbury’s personality is currently AWOL. Working back in forth in that uncertainty of recovering the good bit, tolerating the fact that you’ve fucked it up, is part of the process. Keats called our ability to tolerate uncertainty the “negative capacity”.

Whistler used to wipe down the canvas to a shadow after every sitting, then start over.

His process was the process of seeing the sitter and painting the sitter, and he stopped when he did it enough times to hit the sweet spot, know it and call it. I often have to explain this to my sitters, who may be startled that what looked like a really promising portrait has turned weird, or awkward, or lost an arm. Cadbury, who has a striking way with words, got it instantly and phrased it this way: “It’s like the Rubik’s Cube – you have to destroy it in order to fix it! You almost have it except that one orange square – but you have to break the whole thing to get that part right.”

That’s exactly, exactly how it is. I’m used to it, so I trust the process.

Cadbury’s next production is the all-queer-performer

Extravagant Shambles Presents: Pride, Not Prejudice on July 25 at Monster Ronsons!

and all profits from this show are going to an LGBTQ+ cause! And it’s at beloved East Berlin queer clubhouse Monster Ronsons, which has some shitty A/C, which is 200% better than 99% of Berlin venues! Some of my very fave local performers will be onstage, like Noeline la Bouche, as well as breathtakingly gorg out-of-towners like Betty Fvck and Lily Lustre, both of whom I’ve drawn once and been simply CRAVING to draw again!

This is a can’t-miss Pride event, and I’m so excited!

T*ts, Bits, and Politics! Extravagant Shambles doesn’t hold back!

Cadbury Parfait at Extravagant Shambles Tits Bits and Politics May 23 2019 by Suzanne ForbesAll the issues were on the table at the latest production of Extravagant Shambles, at beloved queer clubhouse Monster Ronsons.

Of course, there was producer Cadbury Parfait doing her fabulous “Miss Brexit” act, with its EU banner reveal which brings down the house, and the moment when she discards the stinky ol’ British flag, seen above! Her full costume and the EU reveal, below!

Cadbury Parfait Miss Brexit at Extravagant Shambles Tits Bits and Politics July 23 2019 by Suzanne Forbes

Mamouna at Extravagant Shambles Tits Bits and Politics May 23 2019 by Suzanne ForbesDoing “Booty Burlesque”, artist and performer Maïmouna Coulibaly!

She is an actress, director, choreographer and mistress of Booty Therapy.  You can see her dance with the ocean here!

Skirt Vonnegut at Extravagant Shambles Tits Bits and Politics May 23 2019 by Suzanne ForbesSkirt Vonnegut dared to touch the topic of US politics.

There was a wicked reveal! Skirt Vonnegut is always political 🙂

Lord Hicks at Extravagant Shambles Tits Bits and Politics May 23 2019 by Suzanne ForbesLord Hicks sang about “cottaging” in the old days of gay London.

He was hilarious though the topic was tough.

Peaky Blinders at Extravagant Shambles Tits Bits and Politics May 23 2019 by Suzanne ForbesThis performer did a gorgeous genderplay on Peaky Blinders.

Which I haven’t seen yet! Weirdly, since I adore Cillian Murphy. I also adore genderplay burlesque, going back to the 80s when I watched Victor/Victoria on HBO about a million times!

And Stella von Fersen tempted us all as a Devil, but because she stripped down to pasties, I can’t put that drawing here!

Always a pleasure to draw Ms. von Fersen! You might find the drawing on my sexy site, with the title using just my name 🙂

Last but not at all least, comic cosplay got real with incredible pole-dancer Jupiter Gatling and  Queen of Harleens Adrian. Jupiter Gatling and Adrian at Monster Ronsons July 24 2019 by Suzanne Forbes

My live-drawing at Berlin’s queer, intersectional burlesque scene is courtesy of my Patrons on Patreon whose monthly financial support allows me to make this free art available!