the year in review

2006 The Year In Review mad craft style

Best Film - Lady Vengeance, three movies for the price of one really, a third act twist that has to be seen to be seen to be believed, humourous touches throughout, a stunning film experience, no doubt soon to be remade and destroyed by Hollywood with Renee Z., Nicole K. Charlize T. and some other Yutz fighting for the part when it should really be left alone to be what it is.

Honourable Mentions, The Departed (which I haven't seen but no one will shut up about so it's probably pretty good), Thank You For Smoking (except for that creepy kid whose in every movie these days)

Biggest Let Downs Talladega Nights (not as good as Anchorman, not even by half) Any of the " New Noirs" Black Dahlia or Hollywoodland (relationship destroying films)

Best Music (Songs) The Cold War Kids -St.John, Okkervil River- Another Radio Song and For Real, Be Good Tanyas- One Thousand Tiny Pieces, Gnarls Barkley -Crazy (why not) , The Coup-Laugh/Love/Fuck , TV on the Radio -Wolf Like Me, Cadence Weapon-30 Seconds, Jon Rae and The River-Nothing To Do

Best Album- Cat Power the Greatest - The Title says it all, not a weak track on the record and that seems almost impossible for most artists to achieve these days. This is dinner with a woman, a glass of wine with friends, time spent alone. A wicked achievement, if I had a five disc changer, I'd put five copies of this album in it (two purchased, three copied). Well done Chan Marshall!

Honourable Mentions - Rock Plaza Central- Are We Not Horses - This has everything, it's a gypsy, folk, rock, cornucopia kitchen sink concept albumwith hand claps and a children's choir, how you follow this up is beyond me - most would release a shitty Trip Hop Record so let's pray that they don't. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat- Fantastic, with the exception of "Handle With Care" cover that people seem to love, but I think is weak, this is the album Amy Millan wanted to release instead of.... (segueway!)

Biggest Let Down- Amy Millan- Honey From the Tombs- I love women singing hurtin and drinking songs , but this misses the mark and before you bite my ears off Tyson Style let me state that I am a fan of Stars - more songs like"Celebration Guns" and less songs like most of this album.

NEXT SHIT- Cold War Kids- Keep your ears out, "Robbers and Cowards" was an outstanding album in 2006. Corin Raymond - Hardest working man in Toronto, from promoting great bands from Winnipeg to touring all over, great work Corin, let's hear that new record already! Johnny Marr has joined Modest Mouse!

TRENDS (Limited to Three per Category)

Biggest Trends of 2006 - Babies!- These little things were everywhere in 2006 and I think it's great, not those overpriced celebrity babies, I'm talking about good old fashioned middle class babies. Avocadoes- These things were (also) everywhere in 2006 from album covers, to posters and home decor - well done avocadoes! We didn't know how much we loved you until 2006 You Tube- Who the Heck watches TV anymore ? Go away TV we've had enough, we'll make our own.

Biggest Trends that Should Go Away - Goose Down Vests- This isn't Aspen people buy a proper coat already. TShirts With Shit All Over Them- These things just make people dizzy when they try to talk to you so take em off, most of them look like a plate of baby vomit with a bad skull tattoo stuck on top and an eagle wing sticking out of the side. Coffee - Useless, just plain useless, don't drink it for two weeks and feel how much energy your body actually has inside of it and you'll also be at least Forty Dollars richer I have to tell you folks that you are stuck in a vicious cycle (I'm gonna get hated on for that one).

Trends for 2007- Buying Canadian- Let's all get more involved in our local economy from produce, to artisans, to recording artists, we have to get behind this. Also the homeless of Toronto deserve some of our time, we've sent alot of dough overseas for charity, let's take a good long look in our own backyard. Electing the Pizza Oven at Dufferin Grove Park to City Council- It's obvious that local politics could use an actual inanimate object in a place of power, we've had enough pretenders. Art Galleries- These things deserve to be the avocadoes of 2007 - think of the fun we could have if there were more than three people in one of these things at a time!

(Sneaking in Under the Wire - Hot Chocolate ! Go drink some tomorrow it's 2007!)

Man of the Year- Dictators ! These guys really kept us on our toes in 2006, so much on our toes that we couldn't deal with the possibility of more war and hurt so we stupidly gave our time and attention to Jen and Vince, Angelina and Brad, Tom and Katie, Brit and all that shit instead of trying to deal with Kim Jong Il, to that Iranian Guy whose name is too messed up to write, to all those shit heads with children's armies in Africa, Rumsfeld (A Dictator who steps down!) . The Dictators really let themselves be known this year but we were watching E!talk instead.

Honourable Mention- My Dad, Warren Buffet, Sam Ferrara,

Woman of the Year- Pregnant Women !- From eating Activia and dancing in a park together, to driving me to a Wedding, to being on the cover of every magazine every month Pregant Women really represented in 2006! And not only that but then in 2007, a baby comes out! Pregnant women are like a living Kinder Egg, beautiful outside and a toy inside!

Honourable Mention- My Mom, Constance Rooke, The singer from the Pussycat Dolls (That would be amazing if in 2007 she became some kind of pregnant Dictator.)

Best Book- I didn't read a book that was published in 2006 this year, so I can't add to this list, most things I read were published in the 50's and earlier so they don't apply.

Best Sports - Catching more than half of the World Cup Games, the World Cup Kills. Zidane stood up and said, "Enough out of you" I think we all learned something there.

Quite a year, this post will be expanded soon.

That's what I'm talking about!

(above L is for Lily commissioned piece, B is for BellyDance $200.00, both pieces 16x20)

Here we are friends the beginning of the new series "GTAlphabet" and there's a commission already! So feel free to contribute any suggestions for other Titles for the Alphabet (ie. Y is for Yoga, P is for Pirate etc.) or commission a piece for the New Year as this smart shopper did (L is for Lily).

you are all so very brilliant, happy holidays

A. Shay Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

and don't forget the Alphabet Shoppe where more will be posted over the following weeks!

http://www.thealphabetshoppe.blogspot.com

Type Inspiring Title Here

First on the boards, thanks to all who came to see "Lost Houses" many thanks to Cindy M., Paul S. and all at the Cameron House,friends at the Opening, those who purchased work and for kind words from all, it was a very personal show and now it's on to the next projects ...ones that are focused on pure fun.

Oh Alphabet Shoppe, I am sorry to have neglected you for so long, to rectify this grand faux pas for the next few weeks we will be shifting our focus over to the Alphabet Shoppe,
(go to http://www.thealphabetshoppe.blogspot.com and add to your favourites)
to create the next series of paintings "the GTAlphabet" and I have to thank T.W for this suggestion.

Since I've been walking these city streets daily I've been remarking on "fixtures" in our city and they will be the next series of paintings - if demand is high enough I may post some of the work here too, but it is more of an "Alphabet Shoppe" project. This will also be a "Request" series, once I get the first few up, I think everyone will like to play along with me, as the Alphabet Shoppe is a place for the kid inside all of us, in the spirit of "explodingdog.com" (great site) I'll take your "Commissioned Suggestion" and render it for you for a fee.

Also in the playbook for Late January at the Alphabet Shoppe -

I've been away from writing for awhile and through this time I've been steadily building my collection of Children's Book Illustrations and rereading favourite books from my youth (no not my misspent youth, that's all Bukowski and Jim Morrison bullshit I'm talking about the youth before that, the formative years) and will be guiding you along as I write and illustrate my first book for kids of all ages. So there's another reason to keep visiting. I plan on it being a fun book with big busy pictures and lots of colour, like Mercer Mayer or this other guy who I really like - what the hell is his name ? Sergio Aragones meeting E H Shephard, Theodore Geisel arm wrestling...you'll see.

Someone very special to me once remarked that I do more than most, I have to admit to her and you that for the past eight months I have let that slip - I became lazy, let others down,energy levels dropped, too much time for idling, drinking and becoming a thing that I hate. These new projects should make me feel more like the artist I was - except for the constantly drunk, chainsmoking parts of course, that's over.

These past two months I've learned alot, I've been feeling things clearly for the first time in a long while, dealing with my anxiety and social phobia from a sober perspective. In this time I've only heard two shit head comments from people I know, and I realized something - I don't actually know these people , and they certainly don't know me, they're just bar people and they can go fuck themselves, I'm on to better things.

Before I go, people have said they like the "God Bless " section more than the blog entries so...

God Bless The Buchan Family, Jim Millan, Will Scheff, Suss3it and Denis Leary
(except for the "abusive lesbian "subplot in Season Two, total waste of time)

best to all,

A.S Hahn

works from Lost Houses still available by contacting madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Any Last Words

Man 1 &2, 12x12, acrylic on canvas $160.00 ea.

Final two images for Lost Houses, show comes down the morning of Saturday the 9th, thanks to all.

Andrew S. Hahn

madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Upcoming News

The Mad Craft Shoppe has allied itself with the "metaball" a very well written on line zine, http://www.metaball.ca My work will be featured monthly in the Creative section with an explanation of the work and a link to the mad craft shoppe so don't hesitate - add the metaball to your favourites. My work will be shown starting with the December issue which will probably be online by the First of the month.

Thursday is the "Rebuild the Studio" fund raiser for Sam Ferrara at the Cameron House, a night of art and drink and song that is not to be missed. Yours truly has contributed a piece to the auction, and you can still see my show there until the night of the 8th, so don't come on the 9th expecting to see my work. Mr. Ferrara will be showing after me - I will keep people posted as to when his opening is.

This Saturday Dec. 2nd is the Buddies In Bad Times Christmas Auction, yours truly has contributed a piece. If you are looking for incredible deals and some amazing Christmas presents, night on the town packages, gift certificates etc. I can't stress how much you should attend this auction. It supports local theatre and you get awesome stuff, and I believe you also can drink for free on the price of a ticket.

And in the world of music, "Okkervil River" are probably the greatest band I have heard in years - check out "For Real" on their site or go to their MySpace site, which is big and takes alon time to sort itself out so I would reccomend the web site, once you hear this song you will die, it's just like The Ring but with MP3's that's how good these guys are. They sound like a more rocking Bright Eyes, without the Elmer Fudd vocals - and I like Bright Eyes.

Hope all is well out there Shoppers,

A. S Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Sunday

Woman 1 &2, 12x12in. acrylic $160.00 ea.

It's always a butterfly inducing experience to meet someone you admire, to receive a compliment from them is even more nerve wracking, had an elliptical conversation with Mary Margaret O'Hara - apparently I have the most beautiful hands she's ever seen, thank you.

Thurs, Nov. 30th at the Cameron House "Help Rebuild the Studio "
A fundraiser for Sam Ferrara featuring bands, silent auction and of course - Burlesque!
(Read the article in the Globe and Mail archives, Sat Nov 18,2006, Toronto Sec. pgA17 "Artist Starts Over")

A very, very happy birthday to me dear Mum on this day of the 26th, you're the tops I love ya Ma.

"Lost Houses" comes down on the 9th at the Cameron House

Oh yeah, click on the images to enlarge.

best to all,
A.Shay Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Beacons

Insomnia's yield presented above and in the post below and three more in the works that are almost finished. It's been a trial/pleasure to work on this show of paintings - a diary more than anything, I'm just going to keep journalling the work as opposed to planning another new series of paintings, this is the way to go for the next few months. Grab a handful of those 12x12's and go to town on them. I've learned alot about symbol through the process, the drums are love, the paper dolls are guardian spirits, often the houses are yours truly.

When combined with the cleanse, physical and emotional clarity helps me "get" to the painting faster than the slower "poisoned" state my body has been in. As any reader knows, the show at the Cameron will change every Saturday as works are sold new pieces and new narratives will take their place, the small pieces are grouped in 4's that make a square, each tells it's own chapter of my "transition" over the past three months.

According to everyone it looks fantastic, so best get own your horse there Saddle Pal and head on down before the Ninth of December.

For listening

• Cat Power "The Moon" from "The Greatest"
• The Absolutely Blessed Mary Margaret O'Hara "You Give Me Something To Cry About" which has been copied by generations of Toronto Female Singer Songwriters but never trumped (Miss America)
• Anything by the Queen of Hearts Eleni Mandell (if you don't own her first album "Thrill" you don't know what you're missing, on my Top Ten List)
• "Can't Hardly Wait" the Replacements, America's Best band - hush up Wilco fans, you don't know.
• Thanks to Renee,Miles and Lee and God Speed Brian we will hear from you soon,
  
  A.S Hahn
• madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com
  
  above image "Beacon" 12"x36" acrylic on canvas, framed (not shown) $400.00

Lived In Bars,Danced on Tables....

Notes on a Saturday Morning

If you're feeling down
Go to YouTube and download Cat Power's latest video "Lived in Bars"

If you're on Queen West
"Lost Houses" paintings by Andrew Shay Hahn at The Cameron House until Dec. 9th.

If you are looking for further images from "Lost Houses"
Scroll all the way down to the archives and click on 10/17/2006.

If you need to see live music
Rock Plaza Central are playing at the Boat on the 24th and yes I will be there signing autographs.

If you're downloading pictures of my paintings without permission
All posts of paintings from now on will be manipulated to prevent image theft, (see above) if you are taking images from this site and can afford it - I really think you should buy a painting, I can understand downloading a song if the quality is the same, but stealing a picture of a painting ? That's like stealing a picture of food and trying to eat it. So clear your conscience and buy a painting or I'll be the one eating pictures of food.

If you need to contact me
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

above image rowboat 12x12 acrylic on canvas $160.00

best to you Shoppers,
A. S Hahn

No One in Their Right Mind...

I thought that with the cleanse I'd have this insomnia licked, but I did have a couple of glasses of wine tonight as a reward for a good day of painting. Big mistake, after so long without the steady stream of stimulants that my body was used to, said body decides to fire itself into an incredible state of upset, mild headache, stuffy nose, stiff forehead/shoulders etc. (it almost feels like an allergy, now that I think of it) so here I am 4:28 in the morning and wide (a-freakin') wake, bad move Mr.Hahn. So most of tomorrow/today will be write off spent feeling hazy minded and trying to recall why I'm standing in the Dominion doing my shopping wearing one slipper, one cowboy boot , a balaclava and no pants.

I'll really have to burn this feeling out of my system ( Dear Lord, how far will I have to walk tomorrow before this unhealthy feeling is forced out of my body- What Lord ? Oakville you say!) but it has left me with much room for thought, since I can't lie in bed I'll jus' set here for a spell. If you know me you know how I feel about beds, beds are made for three things 1) sleeping 2) crosswords with a beautiful warm body in pyjamas helping with the clues and 3) what comes somewhere before 1) and after 2) .

So the cleanse must be embraced with a (cuddly) vengeance, it's interesting how quickly, if you aren't careful you can start slipping backwards and I am committed to not letting that happen. I will be the first to admit that it's hard, after living the past few years with the most aggressive "Instant Reward System" on Earth, that's what working in the Theatre is all about isn't it folks ? Work hard/play hard and don't stray too far from the formula - thank Christ I don't have to deal with that system anymore, I could write a book,( it would mostly be scribbles but if professionally bound and carrying an ISBN Number it would still be a book) in fact it's probably been a year since I've painted a Set, God that feels good, not that I wouldn't paint another if asked, or seek the employ if I had to, but wow - a year.

Random Obs before I try again
1) My anger is subsiding finally, it has been such a long time, years, since I've felt angry, it was strange to be intimate with it again, how often will it happen in this sober lifestyle ? How long was it blunted before or was it just the right emotion for the right time ?
3) How many Irishmen...
4) How long before this Guinness contract really starts zipping along ? (or see Number 3).
5) To be absolutely fair to the Institution of Theatre I was never happier than in my Second Season at Blyth when we'd gather in the Carp Shop in the morning and play Jennyanykind's "Up Early Every Morning" and drink our coffees and dance together, getting psyched for the day - I swear that summer is one of the best in my memory and will probably be a parting thought when I die.


Many thanks to Andrew Cull and Dave Surette wherever you guys are, God Bless New Baby Morgan, the Rev. Matt and Karen , God Bless Ike Reilly, Smokey Robinson, Kasch and Mason
A.S Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Thanks to All

Many thanks to all who took the time on a rainy Saturday afternoon to come to the Cameron House for the Opening, much fun was had. The show runs until the 9th of December so there's still lots of time to come out and meet up with yours truly to check out the work.

In cleansing news we are starting over today as I did have a couple of celebratory scotches and cigarettes last night, oops, feeling it today so went for a two hour walk to get the bad out and force the good back inside. But we are still miles ahead on no coffee or garlic.

all the best Shoppers,
A.S Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

The Big Guns

Top to bottom, all paintings 24"x24", acrylic on canvas,
1)American Halo (to be shown later)
2) Streetlamp Dolls SOLD
3) Fifteen Homes vs. One Condominium (to be shown later)
4) Road to Goderich, Road to Kincardine
5) Fifteen Homes vs. Katrina SOLD
each piece $400.00

Tomorrow is the Opening of "Lost Houses" at the Cameron House from 4-6 to be followed by the Cameron Family Singers from 6-8pm. So strange that the woman that all of this was inspired by isn't invited.

best to all, hope to see you there,

A.S Hahn

madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

One Week Until the Opening

This will be an extended post starting at 3:05 this aft.
Woke up at 7:15 after another completely surreal nicotine patch dream, honestly if smoking just isn't enough for you anymore - go on the patch and really sort out your subconscious. I immediately fired up the typex and emailed the whole dream to JP, I am thinking of turning it into a short comic or graphic novel for others to read, if I'm on the patch for another seven or eight weeks I should have at least a year's worth of material to sort through.

This has been the hardest day so far, Eight days without Alchohol, Seven days without caffeine, Day Four on the patch and that whole Garlic thing. I'm not tempted by alcohol or coffee right now but I really want to smoke about seven cigarettes in a row and then vomit. My emotions are running up and around the room, especialy anger and I thought that with all this cleaning out, I would have that one licked, apparently this anger I've been feeling for the past couple of months is here to stay for awhile.

Some people think that I'm going a little hardcore with this cleansing (thank you for the support, keep it coming) but if you consider what I've been doing to my body since I was fifteen years old, I think a little of that "tough love" is necessary to effect real change both in my metabolism and my behaviours, which are, of course, linked, unless you subscribe to Descartes and I do not. Also I don't want to back slide or slip up, everything I read says I'm allowed to, but if I allow that-- well I'm just not going to. Discipline, for a time, is to be admired, I have to keep this up for at least a month for anything to really happen inside my body and for new routines to establish themselves.

The jogging thing won't start until at least the 2oth once the show is up at the Cameron and my body is more adjusted to it's new routine. Back soon, Supper Time

9:20
Three failed attempts at three new paintings - the closer I get to this particular showing the more agitated I'm becoming, this one is personal, the others were more commercial, we'll see

Lost Houses, The Cameron House Opening Reception Sat. Nov.11th 4-6 Band 6-8
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Best to all,
A.S Hahn

Weights a Minute!

Today at Cleanse Headquarters we are lifting weights for about an hour, beginning a four day a week workout schedule. You will marvel at the miraculous transformation of your host, using the mighty powers of vinyl weights to transform this body from Adrian Brody in "The Pianist" into the stunning physique of Holly Hunter in "The Piano".

Next up Piano Lessons!

And please for those of you with lil' ones, nephews, nieces, friends who have 'em (I'm talking about Children folks) you can visit the Mad Craft Shoppe's sister blog the Alphabet Shoppe! There is a SALE on right now for Christmas!

http://www.thealphabetshoppe.blogspot.com/

UPDATE 9:15 ow,ow,ow,ow,ow,ow,ow,ow.

all the best to you and yours
A. S Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com
Sat. Nov. 11th at the Cameron House 4-8pm New Paintings "Lost Houses" check them out below!

Is it bad of me to say, This is why Mormons own Houses ?

Look at this folks, here's my "Vice" spending for today vs. one day last week

the coffee shop 2 large herbal teas $3.oo vs. 2 large coffees $4.00
the pub 2 Cran/Soda $5.50 vs. 4 pints $20.00
the depanneur no smokes vs. 1 pack cigarettes $7.50

total $8.50 $31.50

*figures do not contain gratuities

And yes I will be adding paintings to these posts. In further music news, the new Jon Rae and the River album "knows what you need" is a damn fine time, go by Ronnies in the Market and let him know you love it. Also thanks to the folks at Criminal Records on Queen Street for their music dude smarts.

best, still thinking of you
A.S Hahn

madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Here We Go

Above posts,"Put A Little Love In It 1-3" tryptych $400.00

1:20 pm All Hallow's Eve
We are now officially on the Patch, stay tuned. Day 4 No Alcohol,Day 3 No Caffeine,Day 7 No Garlic.

6:20 pm All Hallow's Eve
I believe the Patch is working, not very well mind you, but if you're thinking of exchanging your smoking habit for a nagging headache habit (could also be the lack of caffeine) the patch is the way to go. I haven't chewed this much gum since Grade 5. Good thing I have a mouth guard

10:34pm All Hallow's Eve
The area of my left arm where the Patch is located does feel a bit warm, like a really slow burning warm, my head aches right above my right eye and I think I have the giggles - lightheaded, my sinuses are popping since I probably haven't really smelled anything in Fifteen years and right now I smell pain, my own.

wish me luck Shoppers, est. spent $28.00 patch, $3.15 sugar free chewing gum.
A.S Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Shifting Gears

Day Two without Caffeine, Day Three without Alcohol, Day six without Garlic, all meals are primarily vegetarian, some chicken, Two days or twelve cigarettes until I go on the patch, (jesus my head is doing flip flops. ) Forty minutes walking each day Three days until stretching/excercise routine starts

I imagine the first two weeks of this cleanse will be the worst,We shall see...although it's not quite a proper cleanse if I'm still taking nicotine into my system, but not sure what else to call it. est. $ saved $48.50

A.S Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Happy Hallowe'en

1.Heart(Maps) 2.Courage (Gold Lion)
images 12x12in, acrylic $160.00

I hope everyone out there has a great time on this Saturday the 28th of October, also known as Working Person's Hallowe'en. I am still laid up with a bitch of a flu bug that I have to get over. Just thought I'd get into the Season and keep my "people skills" up, still feels abit rusty. I'll probably do a few more touch ups on these and see how they fit in with the rest of the gang of paintings.

Keep Saturday November 11th Open on your calendars folks.

Thanks to Mamacia and Papadon for their visit today, thanks to the Voice and to She Ra

A.S Hahn

madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Birdseye

Taking A Break To Rest

All images, 12x12in,acrylic $160.00

It's been a long couple of weeks friends and I have burnt myself out and now need a rest, will be taking a break for a few days to get the fluids up and make sure I'm ready for whatever happens next. As you can tell the bottom image is an altered version of "Hurricane Birds 1" which just wasn't working, so I'll see how I feel about this after a couple of days. And I'm sure I will have this flu bug and these hats out of my system and be ready to explore something new.

madcrafthabit@hotmail.com

all the best to Shoppers and Friends and Ren,

A.S. Hahn

Lost Houses, cont'd

white hats 1&2, 12x12in,acrylic $160.00

I surrender!

A.S Hahn

madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

Hats and Paper Dolls Dyptych

Why it uploaded one of the images twice I have no idea, I think they look good together but do stand on their own. I may try this again but with another band of paper dolls to really link it together.

madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

A.S Hahn

both paintings, 12x12 in, acrylic on canvas $160.00 together $300.00

What Gospel Sunday Has Taught Me

Shoppers as I said so many posts ago, I decided to add more personal disclosure, as opposed to this site just being about my paintings, since this current work is so tied to my recent experiences, it only makes sense. Tonight my mind casts itself back to the first woman who really battered my heart, we are new friends to this day and with all of the people about and around in my life, in my state of recent upset, who is the person I called when I was the most busted up ? The first woman who ever handed my heart back to me on a platter, that's right I called "the Voice", maybe that makes a fine point about love and understanding, how you go back to a person who listened, that you have a wonderful opportunity to follow the muddy tracks back to someone, whatever the current incarnation of each of your selves and they will listen to you, that the care in their voice is still present, that you aren't being humoured or fed a scripted line.

thanks to the Voice
A. Hahn
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com


Playlist
Snoop D0og "Drop It Like Its Hot" remix (Pharrell, Jay Z etc.)
Iron & Wine and Calexico "16 maybe less" from "In The Reins"
Modest Mouse "Blame It On the Tetons" (Tetons are Beef Hormones,yeah I had to look it up too.)
Led Zeppelin "In My Time of Dying"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Phenomena"
TV on the Radio "Wolf Like Me" & "I Was A Lover"
Andrew Bird "MX Missiles"

Thanks List
Mr. Kasch, Big Papa Don, Tony the Boot Master, Batman Graydon, Gospel Sunday First Set, The Bullshit Surveyor

Hurricane Birds 1&2,acrylic on canvas, 12x12in. $160.00

Lost Houses Newer Cont'd

Many thanks to the folks at the Cloak and Dagger for their care and attentiveness over the past couple of weeks. Musical thanks to Sean Hayes who wrote the song "One Thousand Tiny Pieces" that the Be Good Tanyas cover on their new record "Hello Love", it's a brilliant song, also thanks to Rock Plaza Central for the song "Anthem for the Already Defeated" from their stunning new record "Are We Not Horses" and to Justin Rutledge for "Lay Me Down Sweet Jesus" from "No Never Alone", Kevin Quain for "Stampede of the Nudes" which isn't a Kevin Quain song but should be and D. Colby - the voice in the wilderness.

as always each piece is 12x12in $160.00
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

A.S.Hahn

Lost Houses Newer Pieces

(All images 12x12in. acrylic $160.00 ) 1)Farmer Hats 2) World's Tallest Love Letter 2 SOLD
3) Summer Hats 4) World's Tallest Love Letter 1

Just as I told you friends, the Shoppe will be constantly updating itself over the next three weeks until the show "Lost Houses" opens at the Cameron House on November 11th.

As things have been getting more settled around the Shoppe and more distance and perspective establishes itself in my- what am I saying ? I told you I'd never lie to you Shoppers, I am gripped by a bout of insomnia right now and find myself up at all hours of the night rolling over things in my head and heart and never reaching any conclusion. One way to make the noise go away is to paint, and that is why this show is going to be so interesting for me, I know how it started and now I want to see where it ends up, what's at the end of the brush now that my life has changed, there's something about, what would you call it ? Empty Bed Syndrome, that can make you dread going to sleep, there's too much noise in my mind to sleep but I'm not telling you anything we all haven't gone through at one time or another...

The images above came from Blyth, Ontario, home of the Blyth Festival where I spent four eventful summers of my life painting sets and mucking about Huron County. (Actually it was about half way through Season Four that I lost all interest in set painting as a profession, endlessly painting new wood to look like old wood can really wear a fella down) I've been paging through some of my old sketchbooks that I'd recently unpacked and these pictures stuck out for me. The Second and Bottom images titled,"World's Tallest Place to Write Love Letters 1 & 2" is a water tower that was on the way to a bike bath/excercise trail where I spent alot of my quieter times away from my coworkers, and the other two images were taken from one of my (stir crazy in Huron County) photo projects of the extensive Blyth wardrobe and their massive collection of period hats.

I'm excedingly happy with these, it's a nice step towards something new.

thanks to all who came out to the 25 years Opening tonight, much fun was had.
madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com


A.S Hahn

25 years 25 artists, the Cameron House

This is "Lake Front" the painting I have included at the Cameron House, Two Feet by Two Feet , acrlyic on canvas, (a horrible photo I apologize) $400.00. The Opening is actually this Friday from 7 -9 pm. I really adore this painting, it's worth seeing live to get a feel for all the layers of colour, and there are alot of them. This image was created at the same time as the images shown in the posts below for "Lost Houses" my solo show that happens after, "The Cameron House 25 year" show and my fascination with real estate is better explained below, somewhere around "Show proof"post number Two. I want to work more with this kind of image, my other work has a more Illustrative feel and I was comfortably frustrated with this move towards a more abstract use of my symbols.

Hope to see you Friday at the Cameron fellow Shoppers

madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com

A.S.H

Lost Houses by Andrew Shay Hahn proofs

Hello one and all, here are some advance looks at pieces for "Lost Houses" at the Cameron House from November 11th to Dec 9th. Opening Reception 4-6 pm and then The Cameron Family Singers play. Each of these paintings are 12in x 12in acrylic on canvas. The overall focus of the show being the end of my relationship with the woman who I (rather coldly, yes I agree) refer to as "the Business Partner" on this Blog, it really is an unfair name, but as the Blog was structured around " the Mad Craft Shoppe" being a physical place, well, I went with it as a name for her, and it was a bad idea, but too late to change now. The idea of having to move away represented rather simply in the first two pieces, the tiny airplane, which has been a symbol of mine for years, but if you're familiar with my work, usually the plane is red. The Home on the Crow being a newer attempt at linking my work to a more narrative form, using Children's book illustration, and the final image below incorporates the Red Cross, again another prevalent image in my work, as the two occupants from the row boats, meet to try to reconcile their differences, this piece was painted when there was maybe a chance of healing the rift.

Each of these images will be available at the Cameron House or by contacting madcraftshoppe@hotmail.com $160.00 each

1) crow house SOLD 2) wooden plane 3) rowboats SOLD

show proofs four

The Little Terrier (Scotty Dog ?) from Monopoly makes his first appearance with these paintings, perhaps he's waiting for whoever is inside to come out to play, or that he wants to gain entry to the home and that is impossible. Also here we see the Guardians coming to rescue the House, much the same as in the post below this one. The image of the four houses reminds me of several things, plans that the Business Partner and I had to go to Ireland sometime in the near future, a country I've always had an affinity for and where much of her family is located and also that one House stands alone, maybe not that it is shunned by the other homes, but that it is somehow different, was built differently, facing in other direction.
1) Scotty Night SOLD 2) A visit to Ireland 3) Doll House SOLD 4) Scotty Day