keepin'er loose

One Person On a Sea SOLD,

Three People Sitting, acrylic on canvas

3x 12 x 12 inches - $300.00


info to come, got to go grocery shopping. We're also going to shift focus over to our often neglected sister site, "the alphabet shoppe" (see links) to get a few new styles going for the summer, so check in over there in a couple of days.

A.S.H

for Jay Bennett, the Ashes of American Flags

The Ashes of American Flags, series of 4

8 x 8 inches, acrylic on canvas

SOLD

Jay Bennett the multi talented instrumentalist who played with Wilco on their three finest albums passed away this week at the age of forty five, this man was an incredibly talented musician and is responsible for what I consider the "Wilco sound" although some may dispute that. He left the band, just after the filming of "I am trying to break your heart (documentary on the recording of, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel) and was involved in a law suit regarding his royalties from the album. Normally the death of a "celebrity" doesn't affect me, but in this case, his talent and his young age really moved me.

Ashes Of American Flags lyrics
by Wilco

The cash machine is blue and green
For a bundle of twenties and a small service fee
I could spend three dollars and sixty-three cents...On Diet Coca-Cola and unlit cigarettes
I wonder why we listen to poets when nobody gives a fuck
How hot and sorrowful, the machine begs for luck
All my lies are always wishesI know I would die if I could come back new
We want a good life with a nose for things
the fresh wind and bright sky to endure my suffering
I'm a hole without a key if I break my tongue
Oh, speaking of tomorrow, how will it ever come?
All my lies are always wishes I know I would die if I could come back new
I'm down on my hands and knees every time I hear a doorbell ring
I shake like a toothache every time I hear myself sing
All my lies are only wishes,I know I would die if I could come back new
I would like to salutethe ashes of American flags
And all the fallen leavesfilling up shopping bags

here's a link to the video with great guitar work by Nels Kline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka9Mqgx-5VA

RIP Jay Bennett

A.S.Hahn

Come to the Press Club, Saturday May 30th to hang on the patio from 6-8 pm.

fire.

Top, "Youngest Daughter of the Human Torch"

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$120.00

at the Press Club

Lyrics to "There's A Man In There" by Lester Bangs

I'd originally intended to do this piece for the series "Silver" at the Cameron House (see tag) but had conceived of the figure being a man. As the months wore on of doing the work I just didn't get around to it and had some issues with the "Shock" aspect of painting a man on fire. I decided to give it a go for the Press Club, I believe it turned out to be quite successful. This is one of those pieces like "Last of the Snake Killing Girls (see "Silver") or "Jerusalem (see paintings) that I love but no one will ever buy. I never hang my own work in my home, but this is one of those rare pieces that I would.

A.S Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

As seen from the front

I Cannot Tell A Lie (Lady with an Axe series)

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$120.00

Our Lady of the Blackbirds

16 x 16 inches, acrylic on canvas

$160.00

at the Press Club, 850 Dundas West.

These could be placed in the "Silver" series very easily, both use similar subject matter to two of the pieces from the series, both of which were very popular for different reasons. The Lady with an Axe pieces had a visceral/power response from viewers, while "Woman with Crows" was seen as more majestic.

This may sound silly, but after situating my subjects on empty beaches and fields I've started moving them in from the coast and away from the prairies into forests full of trees, the above is the first of these explorations.

Though in poor focus (mostly deliberate) the figure's intense eyes focus on something that is not too far away from the reach of her axe, I thought the title said it all.

With the second piece I was trying to capture a feeling of motion in the birds, that they are exploding in flight around her, also, I want to make an effort with the next few pieces to keep the work loose, I don't want things to look too worked over and refined and just want to "daub" the painting on in "pellets" of colour to give it a more mosaic/motion/shadow feeling.

A.S.Hahn

When the Man Comes Around, Images of Death in my work

When the Man Comes Around

unsure of actual size, approx 4 x 14 inches

acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frame

SOLD

at the Press Club, 850 Dundas West.

Similarly to the "Field Hand" image (See post below) I wanted to create another image that placed one of the "flying hats" onto a subjects head. I painted the man in black walking away from the viewer and then was stuck as to what it meant, what it meant to me specifically. As luck would have it I was playing music in my studio - which I rarely ever do - and the Johnny Cash song came on. I added some small children's "V" birds to the image and there it was, a towering image of Death striding the land. The Cash song is about the Second Coming, but I just don't have it in me to paint Revelations - maybe next week.

There was never an official video made for the song, but here's a You Tube, it's also used incredibly well in the remake of Dawn of the Dead as the intro music for news reports detailing the Zombie plague.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRwebUK6Ko4

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Pieces of a Larger Man

Field Hand with Raised Fist

Untitled (the Head of My Lover)

16 x 16 inches, acrylic on canvas

$160.00 each

at the Press Club, 850 Dundas West (between Euclid and Manning) until the 3 rd of June

These two images have been rolling around in my head for ages, they find their inspiration from an illustration that Gary Kelley did (at least) six years ago about the fall of Communism in Time Magazine, a toppled figure of Lenin was being carried by caricatured Communist workers, of the style usually found in Asian Propaganda posters. I've had the image pasted into a sketchbook for years, but never did anything with it.

When I was working on the "Flight" (commission) I was trying to adapt the image (through my own style) into an image of Margaret Thatcher as the client is Irish and had that anti Thatcher stance that I love so well, from my love of 2000 AD comics. Nothing came of those attempts, it felt one step removed from my own experience and I just can't fake that kind of thing in my work. As these two very different images suggest I started to find my own way to use the concept for my own work, the first "Field Hand" has a weight to it, that mostly comes from my love of the some what cheeky title. It almost coincides narratively with the images of flying hats that I've rendered several times in different formats (see. Lost Houses tab and the Press Club pieces). Connecting the hat of the Field Hand, I enjoy the "raised fist" pun quite a bit.

The second piece was going to be a companion (possibly a diptych) of another female worker carrying the head or another fist, I felt the content didn't make as much sense, visually as the field hand did. Instead I focused on the intimate aspect of the pose, with the woman's head affectionately leaned into the head of the statue, that she is hugging the head as she lifts it as opposed to carrying it off to be disposed, the raised and open eyes of the statue also imply an aspect of helplessness that make the piece more vulnerable than rebellious.

A.S Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Salon Style Hanging, two walls at the Press Club.

What's left of the West wall that is still available, top black bird with blindfold ($40.00), Rotten In Denmark ($160.00) . East wall, "The New Dress" ($300.00), Campfire Dolls Circle ($300.00), Untitled (School Play) ($300.00), "Eisler on the Go" ($120.00). I never took a shot of the the second West Wall, but I think everything on it was sold. I did of course add the hair braids interspersed around the walls, I also brought in "Raised by Plastic Wolves" and "Woman with a City" and the Rooster Rider images from The Pop Goes the Cowboy Show. So go on by the Press Club, you have until the 3 rd of June.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Fearless Nazi Killer, commission

Early days for this, but this is the "background" for a really exciting commission, it will have to be painted in layers due to it's complexity. This is the back two layers, the night sky and flaming German Uboat tower, next will be the central figure and canine companion, then the last "layer" will be the attacking enemies. Stay tuned as it develops, it will be alot of work, but hope to have it finished by the end of next week. Expect something in the style of "pulp adventure" novels/posters, think Indiana Jones as a battling Scotsman.

Hair Braids, Chignons, Ponytails etc.

Top Ponytail, Blonde Braid I, Blonde Braid II, Auburn Braid

each piece, 8 x 8 inches, acrylic on canvas

$40.00 ea

Auburn Bun, acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frame

16.5 x 16.5 inches

Blonde Braid, acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frame

16.5 x 16.5 inches

both $120.00

Available at the Press Club until the 31rst of May.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

would like to write more, hands recovering from landscaping injury

Hitchcock, the series

Rebecca (SOLD), Psycho $60.00, The Birds (SOLD)

each piece is (approx.) 11 x11 inches with reclaimed frame, acrylic on canvas.

A salute to the women of Hitchcock, Joan Fontaine, Janet Leigh and Tippi Hedren.

Rotten In Denmark, the series

To Be or Not To Be (SOLD), To Thine Own Self Be True (SOLD), Rotten In Denmark $160.00

each piece acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frames (approx.) 14 x 14 inches

at the Press Club until May 31rst

I've been searching high and low for a used copy of Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet" after a few weeks I found it for 15.00, and watched/listened to it over and over, here's what came out.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

More images, having a really great time

Top

Canadian Girl 2009, (SOLD) Lady with an Axe (4), (SOLD)

17 x17 inches, acrylic on canvas/reclaimed wood frame

Lil' Phoenix (SOLD)

11 x 11 inches, acrylic on canvas/ reclaimed wood frame

available at the Press Club, Sat. May 9th, 6-10pm

I'm going to be hanging the show on Sunday at the Press Club, this is a good day as everything should be ready to go, unfortunately I will be missing the wedding ceremony of two of my good friends who are getting married that day, nothing I can do about it, but it bothers me nonetheless.

For the rest of this week I'll be putting all the hooks and wires on these pieces, labelling things and spending time at the Press Club staring at the walls and trying to previsualize where I'm going to be hanging which pieces. I intend to use three walls, there are two available usually but Mikael is letting me cover the space. I like this idea not just for the possibility of selling more work than I could on two walls, but because when my friend Madame Hair hung her show there, she covered the space and it looked active and wakeful.

I've not stopped painting either, I'm adding new smaller works (see above/below) as the week goes on, having a really great time in the studio (even though last night I had a terribly strange dream that my Father moved me out of this space without my approval, no idea where that came from). I added the Canadian Girl as I hadn't painted one in 2009, even though it differs from the usual presentation of the C.G (See labels, Canadian Girl ) I wanted to make sure she was represented, the image "Lady with an Axe" falls into the same category, people always ask if there will be more of them, there is something about that image that really hits people in the chest,so I decided to oblige. The Lil' Phoenix was created as a mini counterpoint to the painting from the Film Stills series, "Red Birds" as I thought it would be cool to have a small one on the wall opposite the piece when I hang it.

Currently thoughts of Hamlet as bouncing around in my head, I was able to purchase a copy of Kenneth Branagh's full version this week (For an incredibly low price as it usually retails for $36.00, gulp) and the colour palette of the film astounds me and is moving my thoughts about my own palette in a new direction.

I'm finally taking down the work from the Done Right Inn, all of the pieces are from "Silver" (see tag) and there are three that I'd like to have at the Anniversary Show, or at least hang them after the sale once there's some space free on the walls. I also believe that Tony and I are taking down Pop Goes the Cowboy this weekend, but I have no idea if that's going to be Saturday, Sunday or Monday (note to self, call Cameron House today).

I'm excited about doing a "Salon" style show, I want people to just take a piece off the wall (pay for it, of course) and take it home with them, I want it to be exciting for people, that if you come with $60.00 you can have a couple of beers and leave with some art under your arm, that people will get into the intended spirit of the event.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

or try

madcraftshoppe@gmail.com

A. SHAY HAHN

invites you to join him and celebrate

four years of The Mad Craft Shoppe

Saturday, May 9th

6-10 pm

the Press Club

850 Dundas West

music by

Lil' Jimmy's Chicken Pickers

madcraftshoppe.blogspot.com

News etc, more to come

Three birds

acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frame, 9.5 x 9.5 inches

price TBA

First up here's the link to the article on the Liberty Boot Company from Saturday's Globe and Mail.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090426.wINClibertyboots0425/BNStory/incubator/
I've also added another link down below, "Adventures in Schnooville" is a wonderful, personal blog kept by a modern dilletante named Schnoo, it's a good read, her honesty is to be admired.

The event on Saturday at Grateful Head will be rescheduled, probably in the first week of June due to unforeseen unforeseeenstances, stay tuned to this space as more is known, the work is still there, hours and directions are listed in a post below.

We hang the show at The Press Club on Sunday, I'll be adding more images to the blog this week, really looking forward to this party to celebrate the past four years of hard work, really I've been working as a professional painter since 1996, but it's only been the past four years that I've been able to say I do this work "full time". The Opening is Saturday, May 9th from 6-10 pm, it will be a hootenanny,bring friends, the patio will also be open so we can chill outside if it gets a little too busy indoors.

In brain news I will be painting and listening to Hamlet over and over again, current thoughts are that the next show, at the Cameron House in November (that's right facebook no more pesky invites for awhile) will be based around, inspired, motivated by the melancholy Dane, not sure how, but it's a strong gut feeling. There may be sketches cropping up here through the summer.

Also welcome to the world Jack Vincent Sutton and Dekker Quinn Kozak-Goebbels !

There will be more news throughout the day as I get caught up on things around the Shoppe
A.S.H

Long boards

Woody Guthrie Concert

Eisler on the Go

acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frame

12 inches x 30.5 inches

price TBA

available at The Mad Craft Shoppe's Fourth Anniversary Party at THE PRESS CLUB,

May 9th 6-10 pm

ya gotta be there to get em.

more to come.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Fourth Anniversary Sale at the Press Club

All Pieces
acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood frame

price TBA

available at THE PRESS CLUB (850 Dundas West)

Sat. May 9th, 6-10 pm

Here are some of the works that will be available, for advance price inquiries contact me at

madcraftshoppe@live.com

more to come.

ATTENTION: Still have to tweak the email function so just copy and paste the address into your email message. sorry for the delay.

Just A Touch More Liberty

Untitled (Top) Bandida (middle) The Lone R_______

acrylic on canvas,16 x 20 inches

two hundred and fifty dollars

from the series, "Pop Goes the Cowboy" at the Cameron House, March 29- May 4rth

Opening Reception, Wed, April 1rst, 6-8 pm

I had a couple more in me, actually I have two more after this to add to the series, the Opening was a blast with The Innards Bros., The Rattlesnake Choir, an ocean of chili a ton of chicken wings and smiles all around, thatnks to all who came.

To purchase contact A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Alphabet Shoppe, here are some directions

I recently had someone try to show a friend the kids letters that I do, but they were unable to locate it, so if you haven't visited this site or my other two blogs (yep, two) before here's how to get to "the alphabet shoppe", just scroll down the right side of this blog, past the "labels" section, until you get to "links" where there is a link posted that says, "children's letters, art for the kids " This will take you to the alphabet shoppe blog site, which I also run, and there you can see all the groovy art for kids and the young at heart.

To get to "Any How Town" my online comic go the link (same section) that says, " Any How Town, A.S Hahn's online comic.

I hope this helps,

A.S.H

Anniversary Party at the Press Club and other locations

Patsy Cline

20 x24 inches, acrylic on canvas

four hundred dollars,

from the show "Pop Goes the Cowboy" (see info below.)

It's coming folks, the mad craft shoppe will celebrate their 4rth Anniversary at The Press Club (850 Dundas West, between Euclid and Manning) on the 9th of May from 7-10 with a "Salon" style show of many works old and new and incredible celebratory prices. Lil' Jimmys Chicken Pickers will be playing. It's gonna be a hootenanny, stay tuned to this space for more news.

Pop Goes the Cowboy at the Cameron House, March 29th - May 4rth, Opening Reception April First from 6-9, with Col. Tom Parker and The Rattlesnake Choir.

Grateful Head, new and old works, April 1rst - May 29th, right across from Trinity Bellwoods Park on Dundas, see posted hours below.

The Done Right Inn, works from Silver, hanging there until they come down, which may be never, Queen West right across from Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Grateful Head, showing in April and May

Scissors I & II

24 x20 inches, acrylic on canvas

$400.00 each

showing at "Grateful Head" April 1rst- May (?)

Dundas & Montrose (right across from Trinity Bellwoods Park)
1006 Dundas Street WestToronto, ON

Hours of operation:Monday: 1pm - 7pm Tuesday: 12pm - 8 pmWednesday: 12 - 6Thursday: 12pm - 8pmFriday: 12pm - 8pmSaturday: 11am - 6pmSunday: closed

I'll be showing work from, "Silver", "Fables" and a few new pieces at Grateful Head for the month of April and also May (I think), there won't be an Opening for this exhibition, but feel free to drop in to have a look around and get your hair cut at the cool salon, cds by local artists are also available here.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

see you at Pop Goes the Cowboy on Wednesday, 6-9 pm.

And God Created...Redux

And God Created...The Cow

And God Created...The Horse

acrylic on canvas, twenty four x twenty four inches

$400.00

from the series, "Pop Goes the Cowboy" at the Cameron House,

Opening Reception, April 1rst, 6-9 pm

I was never happy with these two pieces, never had the right focus for either piece (See tag to the right) so I thought it would be great to pull them out for this show and fix them up, The skies were too blue, the figures were too blurry, the hands looked like really cheap, knock offs of (insert artist's name I forgot here) hands. This is when I enjoy myself most as a painter, I have so many cheap plastic dollar store animals lying around I just pick them up, figured out a reasonable hand position and did them. Originally I'd wanted to do an entire series of them but got sidetracked with other things. I

Two Hundred and Fifty Posts.

I don't usually just blog for blogging's sake, but I'm just having a bitch of a day. I'm pretty lucky/disciplined when it comes to my time at the easel. Today it just isn't happening, nothing is going as planned, I find myself distracted and bothered etc. So I will go have a bath and then maybe work on some things that are completely unrelated to Any How Town, Pop Goes the Cowboy or anything else, maybe that will dislodge this fist sized tumour that has lodged itself in my head.

Had a hot bath, had supper, went for a quick,brisk freeze my ass off walk, met a friend for a pint, asked friends to send me some random words to construct a drawing around, starting drawing, was enjoying that and just messed the board, this day is a total write off. This kind of shit should not be happening right now.

A.S Hahn

Fringe Kids submissions

This was a pleasant distraction for a couple of days, these were submitted to the Toronto Fringe for their "Fringe Kids" poster contest, which is probably painfully obvious and not worth typing, but I did anyway. Not sure when the winner will be announced. I like them both.

Little People, Large Animals

Untitled (Ostrich), Untitled (Pig) SOLD Ares (third) Desperado SOLD

acrylic on canvas16 x 20 inches

two hundred and fifty dollars

From the series, "Pop Goes the Cowboy" at the Cameron House,

Opening Reception, Wed, April 1rst, 6-8 pm

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Still haven't fixed the email link, so copy and paste in your provider to contact me.

Here's a link to the Rattlesnake Choir myspace page.

http://www.myspace.com/rattlesnakechoir

Col. Tom Parker will also be playing. It's gonna be a party folks.

A.S Hahn