Tonight's Sketches, Last Day at the Wilson 96

Here's a treat of some sketchbook pages for April hope you enjoy the window into me head, and now the repost

Hey there folks, just a quick note, today is the last day to see my work at the Wilson 96 (615 College Str. right across from the CHIN building and the Royal and a few store fronts West of Dragon Lady Comics). Drink Specials from 5-8pm, where can you get a $5.00 Guinness, or Sir Perry's Cider or Warsteiner during the week in Toronto ? There is such a place, it's the Wilson 96. I have hung the figures from the first 4 of 75 grid paintings and there are four "Lady with an Axe" pieces there also, I have also lowered some prices for today only. Also. last day at the Cameron House is Saturday the 2nd, and I have reduced some prices there also, it's fine to pay the staff at either location.

cheers,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The April Grid Diaries 4/75

Captain Ahab

8x10 inches, acrylic on canvas

$100.00

Ah the man himself, I'll come back and write some more about this guy.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Eeyore, The April Grid Diaries, 3/75

Eeyore

8x10 inches, acrylic on canvas

$100.00

I never had any love for this fella growing up, but as I got older I understood more what he was all about. He reminds me of some lonely mopes that I've met in drinking in pubs.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The April Grid Diaries 2/75

Samuel Beckett

8x10 inches, acrylic on canvas

$100.00

My man Samuel Beckett, I may also do the whole cast of "Waiting for Godot" but it's early days yet for that.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Six Million Dollar Man, April Grid Diaries 1/75

The Six Million Dollar Man

8x10 inches, acrylic on canvas

$100.00

Here's the guy who kick started the idea to do "The April Grid Diaries", and do you know how cool he is ? He has a jacket with his own picture on it and it says, "the Six Million Dollar Man" who else but a six million dollar man could get away with that ?

Globe and Mail Mention

Currently on the easel.

‎"Hahn’s creamy paintings of axe-wielding, storm-swept ladies are as Canadian as a hangover cure (but far more appealing)."

Thanks R.M Vaughan for the G&M mention of the show at the Wilson 96. Sometimes it pays to google yourself. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/rm-vaughan/geoffrey-pugens-vigilante-women/article1956675/print/

Cheers,

A.Shay Hahn

The Plan, Where To Find Me, March 27- April 3rd.

Here's the first grid of 25 8x10 canvases, there are hopefully going to be 3 grids of 25 for a total of 75 paintings to be completed by May First 2011.

I was hanging around in my head yesterday, looking at a bunch of notes in a sketchbook when it really settled in that I wasn't having fun with my work. I was bogged down by worry and stress and the act of painting was too much, I was building models for Any How Town (see links section this blog, woefully lacking updates) and I just didn't want to paint, it was a bloody pain, it made me feel tired.

I thought that "the Tom Waits Project" would get things kick started in me to get going, but that just felt like work added onto work, which when your only form of income is painting I really don't need any more stress, I couldn't really find the "in" that I was looking for, and I think my work already looks enough like his lyrics, that if I do find something inspiring in his work to paint, I'll just use it as a source title and that's all.

Cuba was a nice break and I found the work of a few artists really inspiring but I didn't draw or sketch a single thing while I was there, hell I only took about 23 photos and to come back to NO SALES was a huge drag.

Yes, things were looking dire and on top of it all ( I don't edit my blog in case you notice tenses flying all over) the only freaking paintings that were selling this month were the Skeletal Mariachi, which are fun but aren't really that challenging, I have at least 30 better paintings hanging all over this city that you can invest in , but people's wallets were speaking ($80.00 each, how can you go wrong) and I think also people just think these little 8x10 pieces are groovy.

So why fight it, let's just be groovy for awhile, things just started up again in me, I wrote the words, Six Million Dollar Man in the same sketchbook that I'd been staring blankly at and did six pages of notes and sketches. I'm happiest when I treat my work as a diary, I just paint whatever, whenever, no real planning, if I want to paint the Six Million Dollar Man, I will. So "the April Grid Diaries" are what we're doing, they may be hung as they are completed at the Press Club in April, they may be framed, maybe not, just keep coming back and having a look, I want to do about two of them a day.

Where To Find Me

The Wilson 96 (615 College Str.) I am taking my work down from the Wilson 96 on the 31rst. You can have great fun there on Tuesday at Trivia, it really is a blast, or you can check out the amazing Samantha Martin and the Haggard on Thursday. Monday to Friday 5-8 there are great drink specials, there is an ATM onsite and you can pay the staff for my work if you don't have time to meet me.

The Cameron House (408 Queen Str. West) My work will be hanging at the Cameron until the 2nd of April, great bands to check of this week, if you like well written roots rock check out Joshua Cockerill on Wednesday, check out Alejandra on Tuesdays , this may be her last one, not sure, get there early people love her, and I think Fish & Bird are playing this Thursday, also of course "Kevin Quain and the Mad Bastards" on Sunday nights, I mean do I even have to mention this Toronto Institution ? You don't know who he ...what ? Shame on you, anyways there is an ATM on site and you can pay the blah blah.

Online You can find me on Twitter by clicking that "Follow Me" thing over there on the left, it will direct you right back to this blog in a nifty little loop. You can find me on Facebook at the group, The Mad Craft Shoppe and you can find me on Tumblr at "the mad craft shoppe" or "mad craft shoppe" I can't remember which. I am available for commissioned work, from TShirts and Band Posters (see the label "pub life sketches" or "TShirt Designs) or commisions (see label "commissions"). You can check out the link to my crazy letters for kids, "the alphabet shoppe" in the links section (it's where the top photo of this post comes from) or my ongoing series of childrens books / dioaramas / graphic novels / amusement park for mice over at the link "Any How Town" which needs a huge update.

Any ways there's lots of cool shit to see here that I've done and will be doing. If you've found your way here via business card or however you got here, please send me an email to let me know, we really appreciate your feedback. .

all the best,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Saturday In The City, The Chicken Pickers at the Cameron House

Hey folks, if you are looking for somewhere to have a pint and hear some great songs, and of course catch the last week of my work at the Cameron House (408 Queen West), head on down to see, "Little Jimmy's Chicken Pickers" from 6-8pm. If you're early you can catch Sue and Dwight playing their last Saturday Matinee show at the Cameron from 4-6pm. If that's too early and you want to go out later you can go to the Wilson 96 (615 College Street) and see some of my work hanging there, that show comes down on the 31rst.

And to those who are out at the TFC Opening Match, have a blast!

Or you can do both, it's up to you.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Mariachi Accordion!

Mariachi Accordion (well, really it's a concertina, or is it ?)

8x8 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

SOLD.

at the Cameron House until April 2nd.

Well, it's a hell of a day outside ain't it ?

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

New Mariachi! at the Cameron House until April 2nd

Mariachi! (Good Time Maracas)

8x8 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$80.00

at the Cameron House until April 2nd

The show at the Cameron House comes down on the 2nd of April (you can scroll down to see what's there) here's a new skeletal Mariachi that I'll be hanging there today, along with a friend who I will post shortly. I also have work at the Wilson 96 (615 College Str.) until the end of March (scroll down to see a bunch of that stuff also).

If you grabbed a business card of mine, please send me an email, it would be great to see that people are using them.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Lady with Two Axes (short hair)

Lady with Two Axes (short hair)

11x14inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$180.00

at the Wilson 96 until the end of March

We're on a bit of a run with the Axe Series, I have a couple more that I'll finish this week and then get back to the long neglected, "Tom Waits Project" expect some more writing about that and an announcement. I also have three more Jug Band Devils on the go that I'll post soon. Paintings are at the Wilson 96 and at the Cameron House until the end of the month.

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Lady with Two Axes, The True Romantics

Lady with Two Axes

11x14inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$180.00

at the Wilson 96 until the end of March

Due to a heroic screw up on my part I will not be in attendance at the True Romantics show at the Wilson 96 tomorrow, but you can be and I reccomend that you check this band out here's a link to their fb event

http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=7504818668&view=all#!/event.php?eid=134768233259457&index=1 and they were kind enough to really promote my work there, so I hope this shout out to them helps too. Keep your rock and roll bluesy, sexy and dirty.

You can hang with me there this eve from 6-8pm,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Irish Flags ONE DAY SALE!

Irish Flag

10x12inches, acrylic on canvas

$100.00

For TODAY ONLY at the Wilson 96 (615 College Str.) these Irish Flag folks are only $100.00 each (unframed, cash only) . They'll be hanging above the bar,stop by the Wilson 96, they're opening at 2pm. There are four different Irish Flags available to purchase

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A.Shay Hahn

madcrafshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, Friday 6-8pm Meet me

If you'd like to meet me on Friday at the Wilson 96 (615 College Str. just East of Grace) and see the work that's hanging there, I too will be hanging there and having a drink after work. Come on by!

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, The Cameron House until the end of March

Lady with Two Axes, Lady with an Axe

9x12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$140.00 each

at the Wilson 96 until the end of March

Currently my phone is broken, I just found out, so I'll have to get it replaced in the next day or so, so email or facebook will be the best way to reach me until then. I rarely use my phone (I know, what's his problem) so it did take two days for me to even check if it was working. Got home from Cuba, returned some calls and then I guess it went kaput some time in the past two days.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.Shay Hahn's Art Lesson For Beginners. #1 "If you paint a white shirt on a man and you forget to add a collar, your fans will think you painted a nice picture of a Dentist."

Old Havana

Old Havana is great, it's a crumbling beauty for sure. I really enjoyed the city, it's not overcrowded and you can get around on foot really quickly. Here are some things you should know.

If you think having 2ply toilet paper is important (see post below), you may also need a TOILET SEAT, we ate at a nice boulevard style restaurant and there wasn't a toilet seat to be found in the washrooms, this includes the WOMEN'S WASHROOM. So ladies, do your stretches.

"Good Cuban cuisine " means, "Okay food", "Highly Reccomended" might just mean, "Passable" I didn't find the food in the city to really be that great, I'd reccomend keeping your expectations low.

If you are young or even look young, you will have people UP YOUR ASS all the time, "Hey, where you from ?" means, "I am going to get close to you and annoy you." I had to just keep walking so I wouldn't freak out on anyone, that's why I look like this in these photos (see above). If you are old or look old, you won't get hassled as much. I've never enjoyed being rude as much as I enjoyed being rude in Old Havana.

You can also walk around and not be hassled, folks mainly approach you outside your hotel, but after you are clear, you're alright to head out without being bothered.

The National Gallery is a great way to kill an hour and a half, really enjoyed alot of the work I saw there, next trip I'll check theInternarional Collection, which is a separate building, I just wanted to see some Cuban art that wasn't a painting of an old wrinkly guy holding a cigar or Che Guevara or Castro.

If you see some musicians playing STOP and check them out, it is impossible to find a bad live band in Old Havana, stop and check out every band you see. I don't know about buying cd's, the live sound of Old Havana is probably hard to capture in a studio.

The air in Old Havana is polluted, it's not horrible, but you may not be used to poor air quality so don't exert yourself too much, take breaks from walking, especially from walking in the sun after breathing the air. Yes, we love taking pictures of the old cars, but it comes at a price.

You can totally crash the mini bar in a Cuban Hotel, it's that cheap, you can also buy beer in vending machines.

I would go back to Cuba next year for a vacation, no problem. It was great.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Super Club Breezes, Jibacoa, Cuba

 Have just gotten back into town from a much needed vacation with my best girl, we went to Cuba for a week and stayed at a small all inclusive (see title of this post). I think the youngest you can be to be allowed to stay there is fourteen, it may be sixteen, I can't remember.

Before we left Toronto I was about an inch away from quitting painting full time. I've been hustling nonstop since November and it's really taken it's toll, I am not kidding, I was just about finished with this artist and social networking bullshit, so getting out of town was a must. Unfortunately I am a task oriented guy and it took me at least two and half days to get used to not doing anything at all but reading and lying about.

Here are some quick impressions of our Hotel which I highly reccomend if you are childless (or have sent your children off to school/ camp/ relatives/ prison, etc.) and just want to chill.

Go BEFORE or AFTER March Break, our hotel never felt like it was at full capacity. I'm sure it was much different there this week.

If you like 2ply or even 1 ply toilet paper (whatever a ply is) bring your own, the toilet paper in Cuba is functional NOT comfortable.
Get an "Ocean View" room, this means you have a patch of green to walk out on and don't face another building, can't reccomend this enough, but you can't have room 1208, that's my room.
Cubans have yet to master Italian cooking or get close to figuring it out, we reserved at one of the restaurants at our hotel and ate possibly the worst meal we both have ever had, seriously, I'd rather eat the food prepared on "Just Like Mom" than ever touch Italian food at this resort.
Bring a travel coffee mug, the big silver kind, for your drinks, it will keep them cold in the sun, everyone there was doing it, the drinks you are served are the size of the old orange juices you'd get for breakfast at McDonalds.
The food at the buffet is REALLY GOOD you do not have to put salt on it, I don't know what's up with people and salt. I watched a guy salt his food for a minute and he was eating sausages. You don't have to do it.
Bring home lots of booze and coffee for your friends, there really is not much to buy in Cuba and it's cheap.
Make your peace with Papaya, Pineapple, Guava and fibrous Oranges, you will be eating alot of them and no other fruit. I ate five whole pineapples in a week and was awarded a pineapple for my efforts.
If you don't want to mingle, you don't have to, most couples just kept to themselves and read and swam and had drinks, there is no pressure.
All in all, we really enjoyed it, next post OLD HAVANA!
p.s Our inflight movie on Sun Wing air on the way over was "Secretariat" which, near as I can tell is about a woman who abandons her family to go talk to a horse. It was crazy stupid.

The Wilson 96,the Chairs By Day

The Chairs By Day

20x20 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$440.00

Only about three more small things to finish painting before I am officially on vacation, of course there are three hundred non painting related things to do before I leave on said vacation.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96,The Chairs At Night,Cowbell Restaurant

The Chairs At Night

20x20inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$440.00

This is the kind of work that I want to showcase at Cowbell Restaurant in April, a series of 10 or 12 simple pieces, just the best of what I do stripped down. I will be posting a second piece later today and will hang them both at The Wilson for this month.

cheers,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, Mariachi and The Music of Tom Waits

Mariachi with Drums and a Washboard Devil

3 @ 8x10 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

SOLD

at the Wilson 96

I've had this long frame kicking around for a couple of years and could never decide on a triptych to put in it, upon realizing that Toronto has an insatiable appetite for paintings of Skeletal Mariachi I knew what I had to do. I also had this washboard Devil all on his lonesome and figured the two of them could use a friend. Hanging this today at the Wilson.

If you love the music of Tom Waits, be sure to try and catch this at the Theatre Centre http://www.theatrecentre.org/showdetails.php?id=104 I'm sure it's going to be incredible, I won't be able to go so I hope someone out there reads this and goes to check it out.

best,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com