Sunday, August 31, 2008

Light Math and thoughts for a Sunday


Woman with Scissors
Woman with Pitchfork (Hades)SOLD.
twenty x twenty inches
acrylic on canvas
four hundred dollars each.

The weekends really aren't weekends at the Shoppe right now friends, the weekends consist of at least eighteen hours of painting and sketching. As I've also been working another job I manage to do about twelve hours of painting during the week, so the light math is thirty hours of painting a week, plus an average thirty five hour work week. The man has some stamina folks.

Q. Why is that ?

A. I wait all year for this, as soon as I have the hard dates for my Cameron House show, I take all the notes, photos and sketches that I"ve been jamming into moleskines and cramming into sketchbooks and I start laying it out. It's all about preparation, some people may think that I paint quickly, it does look that way, but it's the preparation that gets me there. Once I'm ready it's time to get it all out.

Q. But wait, I thought you despised sketching !

A. Oh yes that I do, I can't stand it, if you've see me at any of the local pubs, you'll know that I take the first pint to scrawl a whole bunch of stuff down and then can relax to read the paper and chat.

If you want to research something great and Canadian and spooky (see First Image) look up "The Battlefords" on Google.

I do have more to say about this, but I need to go for my daily constitutional, take care

A.S Hahn


Saturday, August 30, 2008

Silver the Series, cont'd


Man With Hammers {Hephaestus} SOLD.
Raised by Plastic Wolves {Romulus}
twenty x twenty inches, acrylic on canvas
four hundred dollars each
from the series "Silver"

We now have our dates for the Fourth Annual show at the Cameron House dear Shoppers, which is tentatively titled, "Silver" or "the Whole of the Moon" not sure which right now, the show goes up on November First and comes down on the Twenty Ninth. I hope to see you at the Opening which takes place Sunday, November 9th from -7 pm. There will be food, hopefully a band, and yes this is a child friendly event. To reserve work in advance, contact me here at the Shoppe.

Here are two more pieces in the series, which find me leaning towards a theme of the representation of Greek/Roman Gods and Myths, this wasn't a deliberate choice, but as I explore the reasons for these images, the creation of the iconography, I find myself looking to represent something that is bigger than I am, but present it on my terms, what better than Gods themselves ?

A.S Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com


Sunday, August 17, 2008

Silver, the series



Lady With an Axe (four)
Untitled (the Haircut)
SOLD
Canadian Girl (DESTROYED)
each piece is acrylic on canvas, twenty x twenty inches
four hundred dollars.each
I suppose it could be said that after "One Thousand Fiances" I've decided to move from the beach into the field, that the "why" of that ground as a time device has been explored, the field is a place where things are about the happen, the beach a locale where people wait.
I am extremely comfortable with the shift to the Twenty x Twenty Inch format for this series and have been making daily trips to snatch up as many as I can for this series.
A. Shay Hahn

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Proper Villains, Two Hundred Posts




Proper Villains Triptych
four hundred dollars
Killer Robot, World Domination, Death Ray
acrylic on canvas, twelve x twelve inches
SOLD.
Two hundred posts, writing to come, watching "Eastern Promises"
This came out of nowhere, I think Ijust wanted to have some fun, over on Facebook this began long comments and discussions about World Domination, as I tagged each figure in the piece as friends, which is becoming a popular thing to do as folk over on facebook send requests to be tagged. This series just makes me happy, and others too.
A.S Hahn
Song Currently Stuck in My Head "Catch" by the Cure, which doesn't bother me at all.

For My Father


For My Father
acrylic on canvas, twelve x twelve inches
one hundred and sixty dollars
(detail)
This came very quickly, it has received a huge response from readers for it's simple power. It's very touching and in need of little explanation.
Will write later.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Lady With an Axe




Lady with an Axe Tryptych
each piece is twelve x twelve inches
acrylic on canvas
SOLD.
As soon as this work was posted I received a very strong positive response, as opposed to a morbid, Lizzie Borden view of the work, people were more inclined to comment of the empowering aspects of the women, that whatever was coming towards them, they were ready to face it, which did come as a surprise. I am quite happy with these and the expansion of my "vocabulary". I always take a Hemingway approach to a painting, he said, "I write to see what's at the end of my pen.". I believe I do the same with my paintings, I may not quite understand why I'm doing them, but I'll be sure of it later, it's why I'm most comfortable working in series, I"m sure.
A.S Hahn


A Bad Bad Man

Here's Igor Kenk's boarded up "Bicycle Clinic" on Queen West. My first studio at 198 Walnut Ave was around the corner from Igor's and I would have to walk past him and his "Crack Team" of cycle "Clinicians" (read thieves) standing around smoking . I would haveto walk past them to get to Tern Art Supplies and made sure to give them all the stink eye as I walked past. These guys just gave off a stench. If you click on the photo you can read what Toronto has to say to this "person".

Saturday, August 02, 2008

A Field Story, the series


" A Field Story", complete
The End,
twelve x twelve inches
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
{See text below}

A Field Story, the series





The Meeting, The Witness, The Men, The Ingenue, The Walkout
from the series "A Field Story"
each image twelve x twelves inches
acrylic on canvas
SOLD
I am very proud of this "Story", I am even happier that it was sold completely as a set. This work found it's beginnings in my love of period gangster films such as "Road to Perdition" and "Miller's Crossing" also the film, "Northfork" has served as a great inspiration, actually I feel that looking at my work, that I could've directed "Northfork", it fits so closely.
This has greatly inspired me to work on other "Stories" or multiple narrative pieces that flow together and I have started the sketches for "Lady With An Axe - A Garden Story" that I will be starting next week.
There was also alot of mention of crop circles and other phenomena, maybe that was because the X Files film was released this week, if that's what people saw in the work, well so be it.
A.S Hahn

Cloak and Dagger Sundays.

This is completely self explanatory, I hope, if not, I will never design another poster. But if you need me to contact me here via email.

Signs about town


The first sign is on College in front of a Church, I can't recall it's name even though it's only two blocks from the Shoppe. I love that they have left it looking like this.
The second "Free" were piled at the outdoor rink in Trinity Bellwoods park by the Ice rink, apparently to assuage any feelings of guilt for folks who wanted to steal the wood, the city spent all kinds of cash to have people stencil the word "Free" onto them. Well it worked, they're all gone.

Here come the Drums...again.

Drums
eighteen x thirty six inches
acrylic on canvas
six hundred dollars

Four years ago still lives of drums figured rather prominently in my work. After painting at least ten of them I'd felt that I'd exhausted my interest and took a break, recently a friend asked about them and if I was still doing them, I told him I wasnt. After some deliberation and thinking I'd been spending too much time with the figure I created this piece.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Done Right Inn



I have no excuse to have not posted this sooner, here's the mural at the Done Right Inn, which I did in March of this year, featuring everyone's favourite Mad Magazine folk Spy Vs. Spy, there isnt alot of detail here, it's a huge hit though.
Also for the month of August work from the "Fables" series will be showing at the Done Right Inn, so drop by and revisit the magic.

A project in the works



Here are some preliminary sketches for a series of four paintings for a wonderful friend. It is a chance for me to explore, the story of Icarus. Very excited to get started, stay tuned as the work develops, it's going to amaze ya.
madcraftshoppe@live.com

Friday, June 20, 2008

Ta daa.


Super cool work we do here, the font is from another designer, the rest is all Shoppe.
Thanks to Mr.Micks for coming up with the slogan.

College Street Six AM, the morning commute...

I forgot to check if he made it across the street when I got home from work.

Get Lucky Tatty




Here's a tattoo design for the number one Mr. norman who had his CD release party at the Cloak last night, he is a talent, for sure. Stay tuned for the work I am drawing for his sister, no joke.
Has anyone heard that song on the radio that goes, "E yay E yay E yo" in the chorus, it is so lame, no tattoo designs for them.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Hardboiled meets the Mad Craft Shoppe





Here are a couple of new T Shirt designs that I'm going to sumit to the "Hardboiled TShirt Collective" to see if the good folk at Hardboiled in the market will print and sell them as part of their line. I will refine the drawings that are chosen, may add a couple more to the site in this next day or so.

Here's "She Wolf" get ready for "Amazon".




A very happy Father's Day to me dear ol' Pa, love ya.


A.S Hahn


A Huge Pile of....


Look closely, can you guess what this is ? You will shriek when you figure it out.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Mirvish Pedestrian Sundays



Top: S is for Squid a new design we will offer, this was a request image, it turned out great.
Second: This is Karen's Dad stripping roots to turn into walking sticks, he attracted quite a crowd.
The Alphabet Shoppe will be at Karen Found It right across from the Victory Cafe this Sunday, June Eigth. If you've come here because you picked up a card from me, here is a link to our sister site The Alphabet Shoppe.


all the best, see you there...or welcome to the Shoppe{s}


A.S Hahn


madcraftshoppe@live.com