The Wilson 96

Prometheus, 14 x 18, acrylic on canvas, framed $280.00

Lady with Two Axes, 12 x 16, acrylic on canvas, framed, $240.00

Lady with Two Axes, 12 x 16, acrylic on canvas, framed SOLD

The Wilson 96 is a great new bar on College Street just West of Grace, steps from the Dragon Lady and Balfour Books (until they move at the end of the month). I am currently finishing a bunch of new work which will be be hanging there from the 28th of August until the end of October. It's a lovely place for a pint and a chat and they have wicked jazz on Monday nights. Expect at least three more of these posts before I leave town to rest.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Mitzi's Sister, Final Week

" Chicken Toss $1.00"

8 x 16 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$140.00 each

can be ordered

from the series, "weapons"

Final Week at Mitzi's Sister, the last day to see the show is Sunday, August 8th. I will be there today from 6-8 pm if you'd like to chat about the show or pick up your artwork.

Upcoming at the Lower Ossington theatre I will be doing some improvisitional sketches and stuff, here's a copy of the email, it's how we artsty types communicate,

"Hey you guys - we're doing this art collaboration project in summerworks AUG 5-14th. We had the idea that since it's about the various arts coming together (music, performing, improv) we thought it'd be cool to have an improvising art corner. Basically, you'd tell me when you would like to book in - pull together what supplies you would need and we would give you a table to watch the show and be inspired by...plus, free drinks! The art could be anything from sketches, to paintings, to collages - anything that you get from watching the show.At the end of the night, we have a swag table that the pieces can be displayed on and SOLD with %100 going to YOU! (money and art pieces can be picked up at the end of the week)."

Here's a promo of what we are doing.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuuJGgXHCHPo&h=47a26Ws2jhSglr3jlBKTXrwI_jQ

What is Fiasco Playhouse?
http://www.youtube.com/

I will be there on the 11 th of August at the Lower Ossington theatre, doing my thing.

Also at the Lower Ossington theatre I will be participating in the "Square Foot" show that is run by AWOL Gallery, here's a link with that info.

http://www.awolgallery.com/square_foot/

There will also be a couple more interesting bits of info. coming your way after the 10th of August or so, but until then, enjoy Lord Simcoe (King of the Vikings!) Day.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Deep Sea Divers, I see them when I sleep...

Deep Sea Diver with Drum II, Deep Sea Diver with Acoustic Guitar, Deep Sea Diver with Drum

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

$200.00 each

I'll be at the Cameron House tomorrow from 5-7pm, come on by and check out the show.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Log Driver's Waltz

The Log Driver's Waltz I & II

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$140.00 ea/ $160.00 framed

Here's the wikipedia entry, you can watch the NFB short if you scroll to the end of the post, I was going to write here about my love of this classic bit of Canadiana, but I just have way too much to do, I'd even composed some nice things to say about the passing of Kate McGarrigle, such a wonderful talent. It was her death that inspired the series of paintings, "Waiting for the Lake to Freeze/ Thaw" as I'd incorrectly thought that they'd written a song called, "the Skating Song" but it was actually called, "The Swimming Song"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Log_Driver's_Waltz

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.Shay Hahn

The Canadian Girl Project

Canadian Girl at the Breakwater II

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$140.00 /$160.00 framed

from the ongoing series, "The Canadian Girl Project" check the labels section for more on her and stories contributed by other people regarding the Canadian Girl

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Last Band

The Boy Who Played the Trumpet, The Girl Who Played the Drum, The Boy Who Played the Drum

each piece is 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$140.00 / $160.00 framed.

These pieces fall into that special category of "Stuff I never got around to doing", I have done these sketches at least three times over in moleskines and sketchbooks and kept doing other work before I'd get around to them. I wanted to expand on the world of "The Boy Who Loved the Water", the child in the life jacket who keeps reappearing in my work over the years, I wanted to take the sense of the larger world around the small child and expand on it somehow, finally deciding that now was the time to do it.

I was showing my process to my girlfriend, deconstructing how I spend my evenings doing notes and sketches, starting with what to do immediately in the morning, then some notes on how to hang the show, then some reminders on things to touch up and then sketching, at the end of the session there is usually one good idea, six bad ones and two very funny doodles, well these kept being moved back as I found new ideas in those sessions, but last week I wrote a list of work I'd like to do and hadn't gotten around to and "The Last Band" was pretty much at the top of that list, so here they are. I am also working on a 20 x 20 sized version of "the Boy Who Played the Drum" which I hope to finish today/tomorrow.

I also like the colour schemes in these very much, moving away from the Prussian Blue backgrounds and bases and using a more brown/red influence in the palette. The 20 x20 I'm working on is similar in the fact that I'm using a Pthalo Blue and Sienna ground instead.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Things I'm Doing and Not Doing

Top Selene, Pilgrim with Lanterns,

Middle Pilgrim with Wings II,

Bottom Pilgrim with Wings I

each piece is 16 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas

** * Current Pricing, this is new and important, early prices for the work $260.00 unframed, prices will go up at the Cameron House Show in May, so buy now, pay less, buy later, pay more***

I have settled on "Come On Pilgrim" as the title for the show at the Cameron House in May, yes it is another Pixie's song title, yes, Frank Black is excellent at naming things (see, "the Crazies" post below). Why did I choose the title ? This I can answer, it's a new way of looking at these people who have been walking away from you since last June (see Tag, "Silver") , they are carrying things to a new place, they are transporting, light, wings etc. to another land, they are taking the most simple and important things and bringing them with them. I had started to do a piece with a suitcase full of trees, but it is giving me a Heck of a time, have to come back to it.

I have begun, slowly, to raise my prices, I did mention this a few posts ago, so what I'm doing is for the rest of this month, prices will be as listed here, and then start to go up, first the new work will have higher prices, any work that I display at functions will be price adjusted, so don't go by prices here if you're seeing the work somewhere else and finally when I hang the show in May I assume that I'll be bringing in some work from the Press Club Show, "the Wideawake Man" it will be price adjusted (^) then too, so the old prices of $120.00 for an unframed 12 x 12, $140.00 for a framed piece will be no longer available after this month. If you want anything at this price you must buy before the end of March. I need to make a living at this and have no choice, I sell a lot of work, I'd say I sell more "original" art (not prints or reproductions) than any other artist in this city (and I'm not exagerating, ask anyone) but I don't need to always feel like I'm a hustler. So take advantage while you can.

Here is a link to my current inspiration, Theatre Rusticle's, "Birnam Wood" all you need to know is there, this is why I have trees stuck in my head.

$10 performance of Birnam tonight, PWYC tomorrow @ 2:30, regular Friday. $10 and PWYC??!! http://www.artsboxoffice.ca

http://theatrerusticle.org/Theatre_Rusticle/Upcoming.html

and here's a link to the Theatrefront site, Part Three of "The Mill" has begun, this part written by Tara Beagan, you may remember I donated a piece to their fundraising several months ago.

http://www.theatrefront.com/

hope to hear from you, cheers

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Multi Taskers

Deep Sea Diver w/ Guitar, Deep Sea Diver w/ Banjo,

14 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas

$200.00 each.

from the series, "the Multi Taskers"

Had a great weekend discussing what I do, I don't mean that it was great to be asked questions about what it is that I do, but it was good for me to hear what I think of what I do. That I can articulate my methods, philosophy etc. to someone else and not have it sound unprofessional, weird, arrogant or anything unseemly. Actually, there were quite a few solid conversations that came from a get together that was held on Friday night at a pub in the East End (the where ? Yeah, I know.). These conversations served to inspire the beginnings of the above series, "the multi taskers". We're all multi taskers, these days I guess you kind of have to be to keep up in the world, to maintain your relevance, whether it's social, parental or professional.

I chose to begin with the Deep Sea Diver as it is one of my most favourite uniforms, it's an astronaut that walks the Earth, a figure in disguise, but is recognized, a "neutral man". I"ve actually planned three other Deep Sea pieces to accompany this one, but I thought I'd move off them for a day or two to work on another stream of this series that I'm calling, "The Pilgrims" so expect a couple of those to show up in the next day or two.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Animals With Day Jobs or Always Be Painting

From Top Left Justice Snake SOLD, Nurse Fox

Bush Pilot Husky, Butcher Gold fish

each piece 8 x 8 inches, acrylic on canvas

$60.00

(there are currently no framed pieces for this series)

I paint, it's what I do, I watch TV while painting, listen to music while painting, I have tried to play xbox while painting but that just doesn't work.

A few days ago the Olympics began, my girlfriend and I have absorbed about 9 hours of it so far, she falls asleep and I paint. A couple of days before the Opening Ceremonies (I paint) two friends and I were joking around at the Press Club and came up with the concept for a web series called, "Justice Snake" about a snake who is also a lawyer/ street vigilante. Having no current ideas in my head while I'm researching/sketching/preparing to start working on some larger canvases (see next post) I decided to paint Justice Snake and see how he looked. Well, as you can see, he looks great, so since I can't control myself I just started painting other animals and giving them day jobs. Yes, one would assume that a husky already has a job pulling dog sleds but that is an insult to their potential and an unfair stereotype.

I occasionally ask people over on Face book to contribute ideas, here is a sample of what came my way within seconds, a fat cat, sitting behind a grand desk, smoking a cigar. Black Labrador Retriever Lifeguard. Pig chamber maid. Owl bartender. Owls who are painters - like wall painters, not artist painters.Construction worker bears. A parrot who is a chef. Mail Delivery Squirrel. Meter Maid rooster. Penguin pharmacist. UPS rabbit.Housewife Dog. Dinosaur Pilot. Cat florist.Librarian eagle. Mouse butcher and a maitre'd horse.Seahorse Lumberjack.octopus hairdresser,lizard priest.cat acupuncturist, there are more but I'll stop there.

In the past I have painted pictures of peoples pets for them as gifts, I can now say that I probably won't ever do that again unless they give their pet a profession - and then maybe I could be persuaded. If you have any suggestions or would like a picture of your pet hard at work at their day job you can talk to me here.

These pieces (the unsold) are hanging at the Press Club until February 27th, but I doubt they will be there for long.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Size Matters

Cup of Crows IV, Cup of Roosters, Cup of Crows V, Cup of Deep Sea Divers

each piece is 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, in a reclaimed wood frame

$140.00

at the Press Club until Feb. 27th

I was at my parent's house a couple of days ago for a quick visit to the Dentist I was in the living room with my Mother talking about what was on my mind for the Cameron House show in May, what I'd been thinking about and what I'd like to do. While I am still able to have shows at the Cameron House I have got to take advantage of the height of those walls, the largest work that I have done recently was the show last year, each piece was 20 x20 inches and while the volume, I think I had 17 paintings on display made the work look large this year I'd like to go bigger.

I have been asked by people in the past if I have larger work than what I display, I usually say no, for a reason. When I left my last studio to move in with a friend I took all these huge stretchers/ canvases that I had and threw them in the street (they were picked up by other artists in seconds, don't worry). I don't work in that format because I don't want a house/studio full of giant paintings. You end up stuck with the stuff, I don't want my own work in my home, I want it in your home.

Anyways, I had a more more eloquent post in mind when I started writing this but let's just say this.

There are going to be some big paintings at the Cameron House in May

you have been warned.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

and yes I am getting sick of painting these cups, but just can't seem to stop

All's Quiet in the Studio, why is that ?

Coffee Dogs II $140.00, Cup of Gorillas (the Gorillogy) Commission

each piece 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frame

Things are slowing down around here, I've noticed a bit of a change over the past week or so. The Press Club is still up and work is selling (or at least business cards are being taken and used for filters in record amounts) but I've been working a little less than I normally do. Yes, there is an xbox360 sitting by the television, by I'm so horrible at killing zombies and the like that I rarely play for more than 2o minutes.

So what's up ?

Well, I've given myself a break. That's right I'm taking a little time to just slow down and not worry about producing as much. I've been compiling and researching instead, see I've got the Cameron House show coming in May. so I've got three months to get new work ready. I've got almost three moleskines full of sketches and probably seventy references stored on the computer, and when I'm ready, I'll start.

I'm just not ready yet, I've been trying to picture the over all feeling for the show, the themes that are important, "Silver" held itself together really well as did the original hang for "the Wide Awake Man" and I want to approach this show the same way. I'd like to mix sizes, but I really want to do a few larger pieces than I normally do, I need some freedom of movement.

I'll probably hold back on posting the work too, I'd like to build a little bit of excitement around the show, I put so much work up here on the Internet that I'd like to hold back a bit and surprise some folks. I think I may also invite some Gallery Owner folks to come out to the Opening, maybe it's time that I reach out to them.

The Press Club is up until the end of the month

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Three Pianos...insert lame hand joke here

The Woman Who Loved Her Piano, III, II,I

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

commissions

I adore this image, and will admit that it is incredibly popular. I think it's one of the better of examples of what my work is really about, two or three incongruous and incredibly simple elements that when combined create an image that is memorable, and thereorfore powerful, in it's simplicity. I think that best sums what I try to do with my work, nothing complex, but when the parts are arranged; a woman, water, a piano, they have an impact.

I was asked to do one for a client and decided it was best to do some options for them so I created three of them. I believe that the last two have been sold but I'll have to update this at a later time.

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

more cups...

A Cup of Crows, Commission

A Cup of Falcons,

both 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$120.oo

I've been fighting the beginnings of a flu virus for the past couple of days, this is no great shock, I've been working extremely hard on getting a certain number of pieces ready for the show at the Press Club. I have to have at least twenty more than I'm going to hang, and since work is selling at an extremely gratifying pace it is no surprise that my body decided to rebel a little bit.

I have been able to balance things pretty well, commissions and sales and new work are being carefully tracked on paper (paper that is scattered, taped, and posted all over the studio) and looking at my social schedule I'm pretty sure that I will have to vanish entirely for the next two weeks just to get things to a level that I'm happy with. I should probably just have myself bricked into the studio (with several casks of Amontillado and Vitamin C) until the 28 th of November.

"the Wideawake Man" at the Press Club, Opening Reception, Saturday Dec.5th 7-10pm

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Women Who Fell

Top The Woman Who Fell II, Queen of Birds, The Woman Who Fell 5/1

the Woman Who Fell 3/4
all pieces acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 inches

$120.00 each, diptychs $220.00

I've been working pretty steadily on a commission, a diptych that I hope to have finished and posted on Friday, it's a larger work, two 20x24 inch canvases, it's coming along very nicely lots of depth. I was originally going to post some progress shots but, I kept changing things as I worked so I thought it best not to post them, it would just look messy and confusing.

The above images became a bit of an obsession, "The Woman Who Fell" she quickly became something I couldn't get out of my head, not sure if it's out of my system yet. The Queen of Birds was another sketch/note from "Silver" (see labels) I did a male version of the piece but never got around to doing a female, it was too late in the exhibition to do it, so here is a 12 x 12 version.

Work is selling steadily so once again if there is something you like, I reccomend that you buy it now.

I have some other thoughts that I'll share next post, notes that I've been scribbling in the moleskines, things about inspiration and process that I'm sure you'll find interesting but I have to get back to the easel.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.Shay Hahn

Okay, this is working

Prometheus, (They asked her what she them brought them and she said, "Fire")

Athena (She decided to leave the suburbs) SOLD

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, $120.00

Right off the top here is a link to the Bright Eye's video for "Four Winds", no other song writer ever stood up to the Bush Administration or what the sick heart of America was starting to look like except Conor Oberst, (see his songs, "Landlocked Blues" that Bob Dylan said was one of the best songs he's heard in ten years, and Emmylou Harris sings on it" OR his band Desaparecidos) we seemed to forget pretty quickly when a bunch of D List actors and a horrible hip pop group did the "Yes We Can" video, but that's how desperate things had become, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaV-nGQ5yqw&NR=1 . Today they fire a rocket into the moon and a black president wins the Nobel Peace Prize, if this wasn't really happening I would classify the above statement as one of Paul Simon's more esoteric lyrics.

I don't often reccomend music, I think it's a cheese thing to do, so this is worth checking out. No pitchfork here (and on the Canadian side check out Ross Neilson and the Sufferin' Bastards)

Anyways, enough about me, and more about me,I am very happy with the two pieces above, they both capture the feeling that the strongest pieces in the "Silver" (see labels) shown at the Cameron House seemed to have, a great sense of mystery, violence and power. "Prometheus" was a sketch I did when I was painting "Poseidon" (see Silver) I thought they would be great companion pieces, but I was overloaded with sketches and never got to it, luckily I remembered and did this small version of the piece, I may do a larger version with a more dynamic pose. "Athena" was inspired by a story told to me by a friend who is living in Rochester, NY it was a story of the suburbs that I'm sure is not new, how you have to drive everywhere, there is nothing around etc.etc. but what she said that was so interesting was how amazing being in down town Toronto was, just going where ever with her daughter, stopping for a coffee etc.etc. things that us carless, childless people probably take for granted, so this is Athena, leaving the suburbs.

I have been doing a bunch of new sketches, newer work /ideas and also for a GREAT commission, hope to have some of that work posted by Tuesday for you to see. Also, you'd better go check out, "The Mill" if you are a fan of creepy horror films, ghosts and that strange feeling that you get right before someone taps you on the shoulder in the dark, well, this is the show for you - and the rest of the plays in the series. I'm going to go see them all.

Like I said below, if you want something, I reccomend you buy it now, no ploy for me to make cash, work is selling as soon as I post it, which is great, I am blessed and thankful and I don't want you to miss out for someone's birthday, your own home or Christmas, which is when I am VERY busy.

If you are looking for the image that is on my business card it is in the label "Silver".

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.S.H

Coffee Dogs and Friends

Top, A Cup of Blackbirds, Gideon (commission), Lady with An Axe IV, Coffee Dogs

all images are 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$120.00- $140.00

I feel like I've been away from here for awhile, but really it's only been about eight days, I gave myself a couple of days to relax and do nothing (bloody impossible) , I was also down at "the Shop" for a day building more frames for the show at the Press Club in December. I suppose I should mention that this year, things are being done a little differently, I will NOT be having my yearly show at the Cameron House this November instead it WILL be in May, it's been moved due to some scheduling changes that involve everything from Nuit Blanche, to the refurbishing of the ants, and another Cameron House announcement that I'll save for a later date to talk about here. So The Press Club from, I believe the First week of December, (the Opening will be Saturday the 5th, hopefully this won't muck up your Christmas Party) to the end of January, the show will also be hung "salon style" and hopefully every piece there (under the 20" size) will be framed.

We are making great use of the stack of 12 x12's that I purchased some months ago in the summer (July?) there have been commissions for kids letters (see "the alphabet shoppe" in links) and also requested art. The piece "Gideon" is a character from a novel by a local author that hangs in her study as inspiration - very touched to be asked to do this. There were originally three "Lady with An Axe " pieces but this was the only one I liked, I'll have to fix the other two and post them, they will be joining their friends, "the Woman who Loved her Piano" and the "Woman with Wings" on vacation from here for at least at year, just to continue moving forward, I've been working with those images since last September, they deserve a break, unless commissioned of course. Coffee Dogs is a song by Kevin Quain that I woke up with stuck in my head, which was a great relief as I usually wake up with some strange song like, "From A Distance" or "Black Velvet" and then "Cup of Blackbirds" was done just to make me smile.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

If you are interested in purchasing any work or commissioning a piece I cannot stress how much you should do this before December gets here, I cannot gurantee that any of the images you see here will be available for purchase at the Press Club, the displayed work vanished from the walls in minutes. If there is something you can't live without or would like to buy as a gift - buy now.

The Last in the series

Woman with Wings IV

The Woman who Loved her Piano III

both 20 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas

$400.00 each

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.Shay Hahn

The Woman Who Slept 1-4

The Woman who Slept 1-4

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$140.00 each/ set of four $500.00

Notes to come, but I have got to get back to work.

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Small Towns, the march to myopia

Small Town, Red Roof /Yellow Roof

2 @ 18 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas

$400.00 each/ diptych $700.00

Small Towns, Cobblestones,

2 @ 12 x24 inches, acrylic on canvas

$700.00

from the series,"Small Towns"

Small Towns, Blue Roof

2 @ 12 x24 inches, acrylic on canvas

$700.00

from the series,"Small Towns"

To really see, with clarity, the colours involved in each piece, I encourage you to click on the image.

These are an incredible amount of work, no scenic artist tricks, every mark hand applied and every colour hand mixed, nothing from straight out the tube.

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com