Dorky Dino

My new zine is here! This zine is about knowing your rights. Get it here: www.dorkydino.com/free-downloads

As cute as this charm is, it never sold well. I will be discontinuing production of this charm, so if you wanted one, it's your last chance! www.dorkydino.com/product-page...

A woman with space buns wearing a "Roller Warriors" roller derby shirt, a black pleated skirt, lime green fishnet tights, and black Doc Marten boots. She is leaning against a rusty abandoned van with spray paint on the side of it.

Black marker drawing of a woman with space buns with tape over her mouth. The tape reads "remain silent"

Drawing of a deer fawn in black ink. The background is pink and orange watercolors.

Colorful outdoor mural of a dandelion

Hiya, I'm Brandi, the artist behind Dorky Dino. I create watercolor paintings, drawings, collage, murals, zines, and all kinds of other creative projects. Besides art I am also interested in thrifting, board games, mutual aid, and activism. If you like what I do, I hope you'll stick around!

Resources mutualaidhub.org map to find networks near you; foodnotbombs.net free vegan meals; littlefreepantry.org Free food and necessities; littlefreelibrary.org Free books; bigdoorbrigade.com Mutual Aid Toolbox; Further reading: "Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During this Crisis and the Next" by Dean Spade "Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution" by Peter Kroptotkin

A list of resources to learn more about mutual aid. 💚

How do you get involved in helping your community? Consider what skills or resources you have to offer, and what your community needs. Find the overlap, and that's your actionable mutual aid. Connect with your community to find people who are already doing this work, people who could use your help, and people who could help you. Involve friends, neighbors, family, and even new connections!

How do you get involved in helping your community? Consider what skills or resources you have to offer, and what your community needs. Find the overlap, and that's your actionable mutual aid.

Blurry teaser photo with text: Regrowth Dorky Dino patreon.com/dorkydino

New art on Patreon www.patreon.com/posts/151845...

Types of Mutual Aid: Labor Resources: childcare collectives, support with appointments, ride shares, community kitchens, translation services, shopping and deliveries, repairs. Physical reaources: food banks, tool shares, seed shares, community gardens. Community actions: rapid response networks, disaster relief, bail funds, legal resources. Safety: temporary housing, Healthcare funds, information gathering and distribution.

There are so many ways you can contribute to and connect with your community! Here are a few ideas.

Hand-drawn silhouette of a bird with a berry in its mouth. Inside the silhouette is the text "we all have something to contribute"

We show up for each other in the times and by the means that we can. We all have something to contribute.

Hand-drawn silhouette of a bird with a berry in its beak. Inside the silhouette are the words "we are radically inclusive"

People have different abilities, skills, and needs. When we recognize that, we can be radically inclusive.

Hand drawn silhouette of a bird with a berry in its mouth. Inside the bird are the words "we are all connected"

We are all connected. Everyone deserves love, care, and access to life's necessities.

Collage illustration of two figures with an arrow back and forth horizontally between them both ways. Below that is a skyscraper with an arrow pointing down (one way) towards a figure with the face crossed out. Text reads "solidarity not charity"

The difference between mutual aid and charity is solidarity. In charity, institutions dictate who deserves support; in mutual aid, everyone deserves support. Charity is top down; mutual aid is horizontal. Charity is hierarchical; mutual aid is community solidarity.

5-year-old is supposed to be brushing his teeth, but I hear him messing around in the sink.
Me: "What are you doing, bud?"
5yo: "I'm TRYIN' to make a POTION."

Illustration of a fox eating berries and the text "help goes both ways"

Instead of institutions in power deciding who deserves support, we can take back the power and help each other directly. When we practice mutual aid, help goes both ways. We don't look at people like they are lesser. Solidarity, not charity.

Blurry teaser image with the words: Nude Figure Drawing from life, 9 images, Dorky Dino patreon.com/dorkydino

New figure drawing art here: www.patreon.com/posts/150882...

You are not alone. The system is the problem, not the people being targeted by it. It is a radical act to bypass the system to help your neighbor directly. This is known as mutual aid and it's all about supporting one another, without conditions, rather than letting institutions dictate who deserves support.

In mutual aid, help goes both ways. Solidarity, not charity.

Black and white illustration with the words "Are you overwhelmed? Irate? Scared? Go from passive observer to a builder of the world we need." Illustration features a tree's roots with mushrooms growing around them.

How do you become a builder of the world we need? Don't wait around for the systems that are already failing us. Instead, help your neighbors directly. Get to know the people in your community and what their needs are. We are all we have, but we are all we need.

Yup, and ideally add in symbols and numbers as well.

Life hack: If you make all of your passwords into words of affirmation, you will be forced to type them multiple times a day.

Black and white illustration of a coneflower with a bee on it. Text across the petals reads "all we have is each other"

All we have is each other. The system is the problem, not the people being targeted by it. It is a radical act to bypass the system to help your neighbor directly. Connect with your community now, because all we have is each other.

Artist problems require artist solutions. I noticed my black shirt had orange paint splatters on it, so I drew over it with a navy blue marker and perfectly color matched it. 👩‍🎨 💁‍♀️

Colored pencil drawing of a fox with ram-like horns.

I love foxes and I think horns are super cool looking, so I made a fantasy creature that combines both!

A textured purple paint background, with a black continuous contour style drawing on top. The drawing features clover flowers and a bee.

Continuous contour is a style of drawing where you use use a single line without picking up your utensil.

I picked up stuff from my collectibles case and now it looks like I run a shady plushie business out of my trunk. 🤣

When your kids have listened to "Golden" by HUNTR/X a thousand times, so you start inventing new lyrics:

"I was a goat, I was a clone, (hah) pashmina, (hah) it's okay."

Illustration of a strawberry with splatters, red lips, and a strawberry field.

I went to a craft night with a friend and they had this cute strawberry stamp! Without having a plan, I stamped it in my sketchbook. Later I saw it and decided to add more to it. Stamp, watercolor, and white gel pen in my sketchbook.

Kindergarten made me think real life would involve a lot more pipe cleaners and brads.

Ink drawing and watercolor paint of a masculine face wearing glasses. Frame is painted in purple, orange, and yellow.

This started out as a loose face study in my sketchbook. Later I decided to experiment with adding watercolor over it. Then I thrifted a frame that was a little dinged up, and decided to paint the frame to match. Now the frame is part of the art!

#upcycledart

My partner watches cooking content the way many people watch football.
"What are you DOING?!"
"Oh c'mon, you GOTTA put more cheese on that!"
"That's what I'm talking about!"

Ink drawing of a deer fawn on an orange and pink watercolor background.

A fawn, watercolor and ink pen on watercolor paper.

Right?! Though I guess in some ways it's like a time capsule.