About Axes (and a bit more about hair and colour)

Lady with an Axe (blonde hair)

16 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas

$280.00

Here are some comments about the "Lady with an Axe" that I collected on facebook, along with one that addresses both her and her hair colour.

IA
They appeal to our ideals of beauty and horror at the same time?
Wed at 8:36am ·

TB
in my case, i loooove chopping kindling because i feel powerful and productive: these women are the spirit of that.
Wed at 8:41am

DVM
there's a certain sense of empowerment behind women wielding tools, and that whole lizzy borden took and axe thing.... most of your fans are sick and twisted like you!
Wed at 11:57am ·

SM
What am I? Friggin Camille Paglia over here?
Wed at 12:01pm ·

DVM
no SM, you just enjoy being intimidated by powerful/crazy women....thus the industry you work in!
Wed at 12:10pm ·

SM
that 'splains it!
Wed at 12:16pm ·

AL
Are the positive responses from men or women?
Wed at 1:05pm ·

Andrew Shay Hahn
the majority are from women, some men have commented how cool they think they are, but it's mostly women who are fans.
Wed at 1:14pm ·

SR
it's the bum.
Wed at 5:01pm ·

AV
I like that they wield axes but you still call them "ladies!" Probably wise.

S. E -this one. I like her black dress, it makes it a moodier piece to me than the girl in the white dress.Curious - you seem to paint a lot of blondes - stylistic choice or materials to hand? Just curious
Yesterday at 5:57am ·

Andrew Shay Hahn
I was just discussing that with someone (it will be on the blog soon) the choice of hair is simply what works best against the sky. The blonde hair pops more against this darker blue, black, brown background.
Yesterday at 6:00am ·

S.E -this is good to know. I am mollified. thanks baby!

thoughts ?

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A Conversation about Hair and Colour, Pt I

Lady with an Axe, Man with a Hammer (black shorts), Man with a Hammer (white shirt),

Lady with and Axe (black hair)

each piece is 12 x 16 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$180.00

Sorry it's been so quiet around here, I've been building frames, sanding, staining and varathaning them for days and of course finishing up a ton of work, the studio is a complete and total mess. And I feel that I am becoming a bit too bogged down in this show and have very little to say. Luckily playwright Tara Beagan sent me a message and got me excited about thinking again, here for your enjoyment is our conversation in two parts.

"Hi Andrew,

i wondered something... and please know that i'm not making any insinuations or calculating to make accusations at all. i'd love to hear thoughts from an artist whose principal pursuit isn't theatre.

i noticed your Lady With Axes (pardon, i can't now recall the exact title. pretty sad for a so-called-writer) and love her, but then realized the thing that made me paint our christmas tree angel's hair dark brown when i was nine: all of the angels on the tree were whiter looking than me (i'm a fairly fair halfbreed) and so i couldn't really feel like they were there for me to cherish.

this may seem nuts, but i wondered at whether you ever paint people whose complexions or colouring is off-Caucasian. i understand that we offer the world those things we know and that speak to us, and that the shadings and palette employed when painting non-aryan folk might make a difference to the overall tone of your images... what are your thoughts on this?

tomson highway believes anyone should be cast in his plays - doesn't care if the actor is non-native and playing native. i don't agree with him, though i understand his point of view to some extent. similarly, i get irked when theatres fill their "native" or "ethnic" quota by programming stories written by a member of dominant society (usually white guys). but then, here i am wondering whether you ever paint more pigmented folk.thoughts?

i'm not on the attack, i swear. i have a bit of a reputation for that, but i'm honestly not seeking prey - i just wonder what your thoughts might be as a visual artist.looking forward to checking out your latest in person.

warm regards and much respect,tarab"

Tara Beagan is a Canadian playwright, her last play "the Woods" is part of Theatrefront's four play cycle, "the Mill".

continue to next post, to do this, scroll down.

A Conversation about Hair and Colour Pt. II

Deep Sea Diver with Banjo, Deep Sea Diver with Accordion, Deep Sea Diver with Moon,

Deep Sea Diver with Guitar

all pieces are 14 x18 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$240.00 each.

NOTE: I'm printing the final half of this conversation first since, if you scroll on these things you'll miss certain points. The introduction will be in the above post. This is my reply to Tara with a little follow up.

"Hey Tara, it's a great question, and one I've thought about quite a bit in the past couple of years as I sit alone in the studio.

Colour is incredibly important in my work, but it's the simplicity of the colour that is important. I use only about five colours when I work, I use, white, black, prussian blue, raw sienna and burnt umber ( a little bit of yellow ochre) and if it needs it (like the tip of an axe) a red highlight. This choice is something that has evolved over time. If you flash through an album of my paintings you see the same colours occuring in different densities and mixtures over and over again.I worry about the colour of my "subjects" hair more than anything, it's what looks best against the sky and how it contrasts with the ground, waves, wheat, rocks etc.

The majority of my figures have hair that ranges from brown to black, and then I add a highlight to it. If the sky is more grey than blue, chances are the figures hair will be blonde. It's the compliment of the colours that make these decisions and really nothing else. I have varied shades of skin tones but yes, the figures are predominently caucasian, I have painted other races in my work, but I don't feel it's representative of me, I'm sure that if the image needed a figure of a different colour/race to be used, that is what I'd do without a second thought.

Thematically the colour of a subject, plays no role in my work, it's colourblind casting in 2D, I just paint a heck of a lot of white people.

I'm not sure if this is a complete answer, but I would enjoy continuing this discussion here.

A.S.H

Tara Beagan replies

"Incredibly interesting. thank you! i'll chew on this, with relish. it's beautiful to hear you speak (write) of your colours. makes me wonder what the writerly equivalent is. "

(And then we just started joking around about how I do descriminate against birds as crows are cooler than pigeons.)

As always the Opening for, "Come On Pilgrim" at the Cameron House is Sunday, May 2nd from 5-8 pm with the Ron Leary Band.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.S.H