Author: Suzanne Skaar

Tacoma based artist and writer. Currently working on as yet untitled video game with support from the City of Tacoma Artist Initiative Program. You can follow progress on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok: @nominestudios. E-mail: nominestudios@gmail.com.

South Side Animation Club Progress

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I often get an inordinate amount of glee from purchasing art supplies, but that’s tenfold this week because — Some of the supplies for the South Side Animation Club kits arrived this morning! 😁 2 gallon Ziploc bags, #2 pencils, and nonphoto blue pencils. Now just waiting on the tracing paper, USB drives, and the motivation to design and print out the package labels. 😄

The kits will be available for free to the public at Tacoma’s Moore Library starting at the first club meeting on March 25 at 10 a.m. In the meantime, I’ve been thinking of some other smaller items to add (plain sketchbooks, small notepads, erasers, …). If any local businesses would like to contribute items to the kits or equipment to the club, please contact me at nominestudios@gmail.com.

Thank you everyone for your support, especially the City of Tacoma Arts Commission, the City of Tacoma Office of Arts and Cultural Vitality, and the Tacoma Public Library Moore Branch for helping this project come to life!

Purple and white text on orange background: "Coming spring 2023! No, Mine Studios presents South Side Animation Club. Tacoma, WA. For more information, visit nominestudios.com."
South Side Animation Club announcement. Design by Suzanne Skaar, 2022. All rights reserved.

What’s Going On: South Side Animation Club and More

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It’s official! The South Side Animation Club has found a home at Tacoma’s Moore Library. Our first meeting will be on Saturday, March 25 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Please help get the word out and share/RSVP to the Facebook event. Thank you to the City of Tacoma Office of Arts and Cultural Vitality and the Tacoma Arts Commission for helping make this project a reality!

Purple and white text on orange background: "Coming spring 2023! No, Mine Studios presents South Side Animation Club. Tacoma, WA. For more information, visit nominestudios.com."
South Side Animation Club announcement. Visit nominestudios.com for more information. Design by Suzanne Skaar, 2022. All rights reserved.

In other news, I am excited to announce that for the first time Interns through Tacoma Public School’s Next Move Program will join No, Mine! Studios! In addition to learning about indie game dev, they’ll be contributing to the South Side Animation Club in a variety of ways. Welcome!

And one last update, I will be joining a local Tacoma high school as an adjunct instructor for Game Design and Animation starting next week, which means…. BRING ON THE POWERPOINTS!

(I may be at my happiest when making slideshows.)

Thank you everyone for your support along the way. Here’s to an amazing 2023!

Suzanne

Exciting News

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Spring 2023 promises to be a great time of personal and professional growth!

Background on why the following news is so important to me:

Like many other artists, I started drawing, painting, and writing as a kid.

I was also diagnosed with migraines as a kid. More recently, in 2018, I was also diagnosed with both bilateral hand arthritis and early-stage glaucoma.

Ironically, working long hours as a VRC without adequate accommodations became unsustainable, and I left the field in December 2018. For a while, I stopped creating art at all, due to both pain and fear of making the latter two conditions worse.

In June 2020, I started designing my first video game with accessibility in mind. I personally can’t enjoy media with flashing lights (a known migraine trigger), and time-sensitive games can be impossible with hand arthritis, so these were the starting points for determining my design process. Thanks to in person game demos, I have been able to incorporate feedback into making gameplay more intuitive. I have received a lot of support in this project, and I still have a long way to go before I’m ready to release the game.

The News

Yesterday I found out I was selected to attend an upcoming AbleGamers’ Accessible Player Experiences (APX) Certified Practitioner Training session for free through the Developers Promoting Accessibility & Diversity (DPAD) Initiative. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to learning how to better apply knowledge and skills from my previous experience as a VRC/CDMS within the gaming industry.

Learn more about AbleGamers’ work and how you can support this amazing organization at https://ablegamers.org/.

As always, thank you for your support as No, Mine! Studios grows in scope and capacity! I couldn’t have gotten to this point without an amazing community of artists and friends!

Suzanne

Drawing with Mauricio

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Screenshot of artist tutorial intro page by Mauricio Robalino, 2022: all rights reserved.
Editing, sound, graphics, and additional footage by Suzanne Skaar, No, Mine! Studios. 2022.

I am excited to share my latest collaboration with Tacoma Artist Mauricio Robalino. Mauricio was awarded a grant as part of the Tacoma Artist Initiative Program to document his work and processes through a series of short videos. Due to the pandemic, we were only able to meet in person a couple of months ago, but since then, I have helped him with recording audio, editing, and shooting additional footage for his project. This series has been a lot of fun to work on!

Here is the link to his video entitled “Artist Philosophy.” Please subscribe to his YouTube channel to check out other videos in the series and share with friends.

Thank you for your support!

Suzanne

South Side Animation Club

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Animated gif of a dinosaur happily bouncing up and down side to side.
Happy dinosaur. Gif. Suzanne Skaar. 2020. All rights reserved.

I just received word that the City of Tacoma has approved funding for No, Mine! Studios to start the South Side Animation Club!

This all ages/ all-levels gathering will be once a month, free to the public, and is meant to bring more opportunities in the arts to residents in the South End, East Side, and South Tacoma. (It’s not a requirement to live in these neighborhoods: others are welcome to participate, too.)

A large portion of the funding received will be used to compile starter kits with drawing paper, pens, pencils, etc. and more for participants who need supplies. There will also be a projector and screen on hand so that participants can share works in progress.

There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work to take care of before the first meeting in the Spring: securing a venue in the South End Tacoma, getting the word out to interested artists, securing supplies/ equipment, and more. If you want to get involved, please email nominestudios@gmail.com.

I am grateful to the City of Tacoma for this opportunity. I’ll share more news as it becomes available.

Suzanne

T Minus 7

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The Countdown to Tacoma’s Arts at the Armory is on! Mark your calendars for December 10 and 11, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. for your chance to support local independent artists.

While you’re there, stop by my booth to play test my in-progress dinosaur game demo. I will also have a limited supply of stickers and buttons for sale.

In honor of Screenshot Saturday, here’s a glimpse at what I’m currently working on:

Sticker Sheet! The Pink Series by Suzanne Skaar, 2021-22. All rights reserved.

I look forward to seeing you!

Suzanne

Yeetcosystem Promo Premiere

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Concept art for Yeetcosystem. Suzanne Skaar, 11/2/2022. All rights reserved. Visit yeetcosystem.com for more information.

The subtitled version of the first Yeetcosystem Promo is set to premiere on YouTube at noon today (November 16, PST )!

[Content warning: There is one swear word, and it’s not even my favorite — I mean a really bad one.]

I promise I’ll get back to posting dinos and other work soon — unless some actual investors want to make this project happen. [How much would liability insurance on a project like this cost? Ten dollars?]

Thank you for your support!

Suzanne

Side Project/ Game News

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Yeetcosystem. Logo by Suzanne Skaar, 10/25/2022. All rights reserved. Visit yeetcosystem.com for more information today!

Recently, I began pitching my exciting new business venture, Yeetcosystem (TM). The first promotional video is up now. Please check it out, unless you’re not allowed to watch videos with a swear word in them. [I forgot to bleep something. I blame sleep deprivation/ laziness/ being a grown up who occasionally uses mild curse words in public.]

In game screen capture. As yet untitled dino game by Suzanne Skaar, 2020-2022. All rights reserved.

In other news, I am happy to announce that No, Mine! Studios will be back at Tacoma’s Arts at the Armory event on December 10 and 11, 2022! I’ll be listed in the materials under my name (Suzanne Skaar) in case you have troubles finding me at the Armory. The dino game will available for playtesting for those interested in seeing the latest progress. I’ll also have buttons and stickers for sale for those looking for last minute holiday gifts.

If you want to help a small, mom-owned business, there are a lot of ways to do so! Follow No, Mine! Studios (@nominestudios) on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

No, Mine! Studios is also still on Twitter, but…? We’ll see how this goes…

You can also Buy a Dino a coffee by clicking here.

Thank you for your support!

Suzanne