Dates and les Anniversaires

The Done Right Inn, 12 year anniversary mural

"The Trinity Belles Reunion Tour"

(see the label "murals" for more info)

So sorry folks, I feel like I haven't been here for years, I also think I should have more to post but looking over at "the stack" I realize that most of the things I've been working on have been commissioned pieces or incredibly top secret so even though I've been doing a ton of stuff, I haven't been able to post it, but will at a later date, when it's ready to be loosed upon the world.

Date for the OPENING RECEPTION, that's right, we've got this figured out,

Opening reception for (50) at the Press Club on Friday, December 3rd from 6-9pm, feel free to stick around after Alun Pigguns is playing that night and he is boss, not sure who's opening for him, but he usually starts by midnight, god that seems late, man I'm getting old. I am not having a band for the Opening Reception, but am planning something cool for a closing party. I hang the show on December 1rst and that's when I would reccomend you get your advance peek at what's going up if there's something you want. The Press Club is usually open by 6:30 and I will be there December 1rst from 6-8pm, that evening The Pivot Reading Series will be on and they usually have some good authors reading their stuff and by stuff I mean words.

As always for the December show you will be able to take the work home with you that night, so you can do your Christmas wrappin' or whatever, but you have to pay me first, this is a lesson I am trying to teach the entire Internet at the same time, it's going very slowly.

On Sunday, November 28 at the upstairs cabaret at Theatre Passe Muraille I will be sketching with the National Theatre of The World as they perform "Angels In America 3" a tribute to Tony Kushner, I'm not going to explain this, just go to their website, http://www.thenationaltheatreoftheworld.com/NTOW.html and check them out. I missed sketching for the first one due to the goddam flu and I am attending this to sketch them irregardless of how much sleep I will lose getting caught up on finishing paintings, these guys are amazing and you can't miss them. I think I just said "can't miss them" four times in this short paragraph. But hey it's 6:05 AM, what's a fella to do.

Alright, I've got a huge day, hope to have something else posted later on in the afternoon/early evening. Now I'm going to jump over to the Any How Town blog and put up some pictures of buildings.

all the best,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

GOONS.

Goon (Baseball)

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$160.00

I'm not a fan of baseball, but I am a fan of the vintage baseball uniforms and the poses on old cards. I expect that there will be another baseball goon or two showing up at the Press Club also a couple of soccer goons and a football goon or two, probably ten in total. I'd like to get started on them, but nobody seems to be paying me on time for my other work, so they have to wait.

If you'd like to order a GOON playing for your favourite time, I'd be more than happy to do that for you.

If you'd like to remedy this situation and help a fella get to his Goons

madcraftshoppe@live.com is now accepting your timely email transfers

A.Shay Hahn

Vintage

Eveready SOLD, Dubble Bubble, Popeye

each piece is 14 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$260.00 each

If you go all the way back to the beginning of this blog, maybe the third enty or so you can see the "water polo" players that I used to do standing in front of signs, I thought I'd come back to it for the Press Club show, I'm going through a vintage phase. I think it started with the Pond Goons, now I have plans to do baseball and football goons and also finish a bunch of the green army men as musicians and maybe a couple more of these ladies. It will make for a great looking wall at the Press Club. The show will go up Wed. December 1rst, and the Opening will be that weekend, we just have to decide which date. I was originally considering Sunday eve, but I think I'd rather start the weekend off with a reception, people may be too tired by Sunday.

This is a terrible blog entry, my head is cloudy and the upstairs neighbour is in the shower, please, get out of the shower, I want to go in the shower.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Piano (#36, new big oceans)

Piano (#36, new big oceans)

14 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$240.00

Like the orange from Chardin, this figure is supplied courtesy of Mr.Winslow Homer's piece, "Breezing Up" from 1876, with changes of course.

Mural photos to be posted today.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Press Club "SALE" Wall a "SALE" Wall no more

I sold two more pieces from the SALE wall and decided to take everything down from it, partially because I didn't have any work to sell at a reduced price, but mostly because my house is rapidly fillng up with new work alongside my older work and it's getting a little cramped in here. So I moved these eight pieces over to the Press Club, each is 10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas and framed for $160.00 each.

Off to finish the 12 year Anniversary mural at the Done Right Inn, still having studio visits right up until the end of November.

cheers,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

New Favourite Painting.

Orange (#37)

14 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$280.00

Things assemble themselves in the strangest ways sometimes, what was originally going to be a piece based on a photo of Sylvia Plath (don't worry, it's coming) morphed into a painting of a woman sitting on an orange. When Balfour books changed location I bought a wonderful book on Chardin, a man who is considered a bit of a painter's painter, his still life work is mind blowing, so I borrowed one of his oranges.

I'd been getting a little tired of the usual format and have been looking for new avenues in my work, painting this orange was a great way to go, when combined with the strange teal/brown elements in the sky and then tying all the colours into the figure I really feel that I hit something.

Lovers of Neo Rauche's work will no doubt thing I'm trying to pull from his palette, but nothing could be further from the truth.

I love this painting, it joins "Tantrum" ( I don't think I have the piece on the blog) and "Last of the Snake Killing Girls" (see label "Silver") as paintings that I am very proud of and also found new things within old patterns and nothing makes me happier than that.

So there's 24 days until I hang the show at the Press Club for the Annual December Exhibition, in that time I am painting a mural this week, working on 4 or 5 new pages for the graphic novel (see link Any How Town) and generally making a brand new mess of the place.

Lots of news and images to come.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Big News over at Any How Town

Hey folks, hop on over to the "Any How Town" blog, we've got good news.

A.S.Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96 Flying Squad

The Pilot

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas framed

SOLD.

So there's this one spot on the wall at the Wilson 96, it's above the bar and to the left and any time I put a painting of a pilot there, it sells. I've sold four pilot paintings from that spot in two months and here's the last one, if it's there when I go by the bar on Sunday, I'll be stunned. If it's there where I take down the work on Monday, I'll be gob smacked,you heard me, gobsmacked.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

GOONS!

Goon 1 and 2 (Studies In Grey)

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

SOLD.

So, getting closer to being caught up on all the work that has been here for the past two weeks, if I can finish two more pieces for (50) today, then I can get back to the commissions. Sure it sounds a little backwards doing your own work before finishing commissions, but hey folks, it's not about the money. But just in case it is this is the last weekend to see my stuff at the Wilson 96 and it would be great to sell four paintings, seriously. Some of this work will move to Shampoo Hair Salon in Kensington Market for the month of November and the rest will come home with me, I don't have much luck selling work out of hair salons, probably a karma thing, I haven't paid for a haircut in at least seven years but it's nice to have the work out there.

These pond Goons turned out really well, regardless what these photos look like.

I don't think I've done any sports related pieces in awhile, maybe the Joan of Arc fencer, anyways I put these up yesterday at the Wilson around 6 pm, and one of the tenants who lives upstairs came in to get change or whatever and he immediately walked right over to where the were hung, didn't look at the pieces along the way, just went right to da goons.

A.S.H

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Oh those crazy Sisters.

The White Glove Test (#40)

11 x 14 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$180.00

There's something about the minimal events that take place between these two that cheers me up to no end, as seen in "The Light Sleepers" and "The Sisters", I can't wait to see what they're going to do next.

Thoughts on this series called, (50), it's like Canadiana via Smiths album covers.

The Opening at the Press Club will be Sunday,Dec. 5th, work is already selling from this show, this is both encouraging and a bit frightening.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

(50) some progress.

Morning (#42) SOLD, Morning (#41) SOLD

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

Trying to get caught up, really bloody trying.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Give me one colour...

Just a quick, "note to self" in the dvd commentary for the remake of Flight of the Phoenix, which is terrible and lacks the humanity and character of the original, the director, John Moore, was complimenting the costume designer for his work, which consists of breaking down the single costume each character wears. Moore said in reference to this, "Give me one colour and I'll give you a rainbow." This really struck a chord with me in regards to my current work (50) I really only have used six colours consistently for the past two years, I think with this series, it's being pulled back even further, down to five colours. This will become more clear as more work is posted under the "(50)" label (see sidebar) as time goes on.

that's all

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

(and just a hint of pale yellow, really like that colour to add to white right now)

Wilson 96 comes down Nov.1

Dress (#43 Julie Andrews without Julie Andrews)

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed, SOLD.

This was a sketch that I'd done a few days ago, after shoulder injury and prior to getting a cold. I knew the pose was from somewhere and the dress so I had to spend a good twenty minutes doing Google searches to realize it was Julie Andrews from the Sound of Music, a movie I've seen once when it was on television when I was nine. What I remember most about the movie was sitting beside my Dad and listening to him sing Edelweiss, the rest of the film is a mystery. We're back at the easel after about three weeks of flu, injury and colds, what a great run, I have a bunch of work to get caught up on.

Thanks to all who came to the Wilson 96 on Friday, the show comes down on the first of November, so head on over in the next few days to see what's there. Lots and lots of posts to come in the next couple of weeks.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Notes to Self, the Wilson 96

Here are some block ins that I've been slowly working on, I injured my shoulder sometime while sleeping on Thursday night, so it's been rather hard to do any painting. Luckily my arm is back in it's proper socket and I can continue with the (50) project, I have alot to get caught up on tonight and for the rest of the week.

If you're around College Str. on Friday evening please drop by the Wilson 96 to have a drink and say hello, the show comes down on the First of November, but since I don't want to compete with any Hallowe'en events, I figure having a small closing reception is the thing to do. I tried to get a band and got in touch with three different people about playing, everyone was busy, so it will just be me and a microphone singing along to Duran Duran's "Decade" album.

hope to see you there.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

New Stuff at the Press Club

Rooks, Crows and Ravens, 6 x 6inches, $40.00 each, A Cup of Pigs 12, x 12 inches, SOLD

Canadian Girl (Black Flag) SOLD Foxes and Crows, 6x6 inches, $40.00 each, FOX SOLD

Hot & Cold, Love Taps, 6 x 18 $80.00, Proper Villains 12 x 12 inches $140.00, War Pig $80.00

and if you scroll down this blog you can see the other pieces on my dedicated wall, also this SALE will be over December 1rst when I hang my new show at the Press Club, so take advantage of these prices while you can.

good lookin' out

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Bremen, Pilots, One A Days, holy pheew.

Foxes SOLD and Nurse, DESTROYED each is 6 x 6inches, acrylic on canvas, framed $40.00 each,

from the series, "One A Day Warm Ups" these will be at the Press Club along with all the Ravens, Crows and Rooks, some are there now, others will be added as they sell.

Bremen (#44) 11 x 14 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed $180.00

Pilot w/ Fiddle (#43) 10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed, SOLD.

I'll go hang this at the Wilson 96 right now.

Between this new series, the alphabet letters I"m doing (see links) a commission to finish, Any How Town Maquettes (see links), updating all the blogs, facebook, twitter and tumblr, may plate is too full and I have to get back to work, I can't even go out and get drunk without feeling too preoccupied.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Bremen Musicians

Bremen (#45)

11 x 14 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed $180.00

I have alot to write here, but very little time right now, once I get the others in this particular series done, I'll do a more comprehensive write up.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Pilot, Yellow Guitar #46

The Pilot, Yellow Guitar (#46)

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed (frame will be black)

SOLD.

I love the idea of this little yellow guitar, I didn't want to have too many canvases with the small red airplane, I think it would diminish it's power, I've been wanting to pick up a ukelele or guitlele since about January so I thought I'd try it in one of the pieces, and it works so well. I have a great love of music, live music especially, some of my favourite moments are when I discover a band when I'm off somewhere sketching.

I also love the guitar but my hands are too small to really get a good bar chord and my carpal tunnel or whatever it is that makes my hands cramp up makes practising a proper guitar at length almost impossible. So instead I paint alot of people playing instruments, it's strange the way I hold a brush has no painful after effects but if I write with a pen for too long my hands really cramp up.

Right now I am working on two commissions, a really lovely "Lady of the Flowers" (see labels) that is coming along nicely and three kids letters, I'm also trying to do one 6 x6 inch piece a day and also work on these new pieces, while building all kinds of crazy popsicle stick buildings/cars etc. for Any How Town (see links), so things are pretty chaotic in the studio, there are frames and half finished paintings everywhere. Hopefully some more work will sell at the Wilson 96 by the end of October because I really have no idea where I'm going to put all of this work for a month before I move everything to the Press Club in December.

Yes, there is alot going on.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Pilots, #48, #47

The Pilot #48 (top) SOLD, The Pilot #47 SOLD

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

each at the Wilson 96

If you go all the way back to the beginning of this blog, and my return to painting, five years ago or however long it's been that is where the little pilot and the red airplane make their first appearance, actually I"m not sure there's a picture of that here, I'll have to check at some point. Regardless, the Pilot, like the birdhouse, has been around a very long time, he/she comes and goes, the Pilot showed up in "Silver" (see labels) and then went away, came back for a commission, went away again etc.

The first Pilot that hung at the Wilson 96 sold the day I hung it, actually it sold before the bar had even opened, I'd wanted to work with a more reduced palette and painted the four, Jacques Cousteau, Joan of Arc, The Pilot and the Airman with that in mind. The pose/ orientation of that Pilot was perfect, a great little piece that came together quickly.

Of course with each show there is one (hopefully more) runaway success, the piece everyone has to have and with this show, it was the Pilot, it could've sold ten times over. I'd thought I could produce a few more, with different poses etc. but just couldn't do it, they'd be too similar, it was too soon. Once I started sorting through the new source material I'd found and started blocking in figure poses, backgrounds etc. I found a few poses that I thought could support the image of the Pilot, here are the first two. They are hanging at the Wilson 96 (on College for the umpteenth time) but I'm sure they won't be there long.

EDIT: the photo I'm talking about is not there, it's somewhere on my external hd I'm sure, so I'll track it down and post it in the next week or so.

cheers,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

(50) Project for the Press Club, December

Invisible Men (#49) SOLD, Fall Fashions (#50) STOLEN

1o x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas,

for the Press Club, December -Feb.

I'd been getting a little tired of workind with the "back to the viewer" concept, as powerful as it is, I had to change things up for a time. All my sketches started to feel the same and some of the excitement and discovery had gone out of what I was doing, I'd been pushing myself too hard for too long and needed to take a new tack for awhile.

A couple of years ago I'd begun a "Fifty Posts in Fifty Days" project where I was trying to do a painting a day, this was of course, impossible, due to commissioned work, the job I had at the time etc. and I think I got to 25 posts, you'd have to check the archives.

I've recently found a bunch of source material that I quite like and am using the poses as a starting point for my new work, instead of scraping around inside of my head I'm going to let the poses guide what I'm doing. The work is still similar in most respects, I have started about ten new pieces in this size and I may not reach fifty pieces, but it is nice to find a new way to work.

And if you are looking for some very reasonably priced photography check out this link from photographer Joanna Smith http://jojotography.com/

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Ravens, Snakes, Foxes, One a Day Warm Ups

More Crows, Snakes, Foxes

6 x 6 inches, acrylic on canvas, $40.00 each

at the Press Club

FOX, SOLD.

These are still a great way to get my day started at the easel, so I will be continuing this project until December when I hang at the Press Club, I've built about 20 mini frames and have a bunch of canvases lined up.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

CROWS at the Press Club

Hanging on the SALE wall (see entry below) at the Press Club, we got some Crows, Rooks and Ravens each is 6x6 inches, acrylic on canvas and framed in some pretty bashed up wood, which adds to their rustic appeal, $40.00 each.

Expect four of these a week until my show at the Press Club in December. I will be at the Wilson 96 this Friday having a couple of drinks from 7-9 pm if you'd like to come by and see the show and hang out.

email is working,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Email difficulties, please "Cut/Paste" for awhile

Well, hey there, since I've been lying around sick I decided to try something I hadn't done in awhile, email myself to see if this link works. It does not, so for the time being please cut and paste if you are trying to contact me, I will eventually sort this out OR please do me a huge favour and send me an email via this site.

thanks, (hack) hope to be (cough/ache) well soon.

A.S.Hahn
madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Press Club, SALE wall

New at the Wilson 96 Lady with Two Axes, Falconer (white dress), Falconer (white shirt) all are $220.00 each, acrylic on canvas, framed. A Cup of Crows, The Book Thief, 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed $160.00 each

The Press Club SALE Wall Muppets and Friends 6 x 6 inches, framed SOLD, A Cup of Pigs 12 x 12 inches, framed $140.00, Canadian girl 11 x 14 inches, SOLD, Artemis, SOLD , Hot Cold Love Taps $80.00, Proper Villains, 12 x 12 inches, framed $140.00, Man with Hammer (not sure of msrmt.) framed $140.00, The Man Who Loved His Guitar, 12 x 12inches, framed $140.00, An Idea Is Like A Storm 11 x 14 inches, framed $140.00, A Quiet Place to Call My Own, 12 x 12 inches,framed $140.00

First up, thanks to all who came out on Monday to the Wilson 96, a good time was had by all, and I'm nothing without your support, the show is up until the end of October and there is new work already on the walls (see above photo).

I have recently lowered the prices on the work at the Press Club, I am trying to raise some money to take a month away from painting to work on my graphic novel "Any How Town" (see Links section of this blog). I've scripted and thumbnailed three short stories and I would love a chance to get to finally draw them. I thought I would have the time/savings at the end of The Cameron House show to do this project, but there were some delays that made that impossible. So if you have always wanted a framed piece of my work but found it too expensive, you can buy work at the Press Club. I am not lowering the prices because I think the work is bad, I am offering a savings to you to help me complete a project that I've been developing for over a year and a half. You can purchase the work directly from the staff at the Press Club.

all the best, hope to hear from you

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, Monday, Sept 20 -6:30-9:30

All Tomorrow's Parties

20 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$480.00

Just a reminder to come by the Wilson 96, tomorrow from 6:30 - 9:30 for a small reception to see some new work, great little bar on College. If you want to see some of the crazy dioramas I've been building in my spare time click the "Any How Town" link over on the right side.

take care,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, Sept 20th 6-9pm

The Pilot SOLD , Jacques Cousteau, The Air Man, Joan of Arc

All pieces are 10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$160.00 each,

Added to the Wilson 96, as of 5pm today, and come on by Monday, September 20th from 6 - 9 pm for a small reception. Look forward to hearing from you. I'll be adding to this post later, just composing what I have to say.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Weekend Alphabet SALE

We are having a SALE this weekend! The above alphabet letters are on SALE for $40.00 each this weekend. Each is 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas. Toronto pick ups only. Message me here to make arrangements.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Press Club Wall, Sept 7. 2010

Press Club Sept 7th, top left, Pepe the Tiger Prawn, Black Scared Pig SOLD, Snake SOLD, Lew Zealand SOLD eachbottom left, Pencils SOLD, Top Canadian Girl SOLD, Below A Cup of Crows $160.00, Top Middle War Pig $80.00, Husky SOLD, Hot and Cold Running Love Taps $80.00, Lady with two axes SOLD, The Man Who Loved His Guitar SOLD, An Idea Is Like A Storm $180.00, A Quiet Place to Call My Own $160.00

Here is what is currently hanging on the dedicated wall at the Press Club, all the Muppets are gone with the exception of Pepe and Lew Zealand. The two pieces I contributed to the Square Foot show are hanging at the Press Club now, also a lovely "Hot and Cold Running Love Tap" at a great price, I also have one more with a black frame.

yep, looks good, back to work

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, whoops! I Forgot One

The Women Who Loved Wine

20 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$480.00

Forgot to get a picture of this piece on the wall, looks great. After I get some much needed rest I'll fill in these posts with more detail.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, Have a Drink see the Paint

The Lone Rooster, $300.00
First Look at the Stars $280.00, The Sisters SOLD, Rescue Dog/Deep Sea uniform $160.00
Prometheus III $280.00, The Woman who Fell $480.00

Prometheus $480.00, Canadian Girl SOLD, Rescue Dog/Scuba $160.00,



Girl with an Axe SOLD, Girl with a Hammer SOLD, the Night Tree $400.00,
Deep Sea Diver w/Guitar $240.00, Rescue Dog/Fire Axe $160.00

Lady with Two Axes SOLD, the Light Sleepers SOLD

As always I reccomend going soon if there is a piece you justhave to have, the work sells and sells quickly, you can pay the bartender or make an appointment to meet with me. The Wilson 96 is usually open by 5pm, they have a great jazz band on Monday nights and play English Premier League football whenever there is a match and Warsteiner on tap.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96, on display for your pleasure

Man with Hammer $220.oo, Woman with Two Hammers SOLD

Joker SOLD and Hula Girl8 x 16 inches SOLD, Prometheus $280.00

The White Boat,20 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed SOLD

To contact A.Shay Hahn tell your stenographer to enter

madcraftshoppe@live.com