The Boy Who Loved Airplanes
The Boy Who Loved the Water, 
The Wolvesinfo in the previous post.
A.S.Hahn
A Field Story, Pt.II The Trial
Cover Illustration for Thomas Pynchon's "V" by Mark Penberthy, 1990.
The Book Thief 3, The Book Thief 4
Woman on a Crow,These two pieces are studies for a commission, my sketches turned out nicely but I wanted to get warmed up and have my own painted references for the work to refer to - expect to see it in a couple of days.
These were finished watching (I say watching, but it's mostly listening) to a film that actually SHOULD be remade, "The Swiss Conspiracy" (1976) is a pretty fine thriller involving blackmail at a Swiss bank. W.P Hassenstein's music is fantastic, there are some great cars in the film and just enough sex and intrigue to keep you guessing up until the end - I should actually watch the ending again as I"m not really sure who did it - but one guy does fall off a mountain, which is always a great audience reward.
A.S Hahn
Canadian Girl (white flag)It seems I've fallen behind in the daily posting, but things have gotten complicated around here, my usual faith in people is being dismantled like a lego wall, brick by bright and shining brick. So today and for the next few days I will be here at the easel getting caught up on finishing work and trying to maintain my lego like confidence in the human race.
I recently purchased, "Star Power" which is a collection of 20 old films on DVD, the above piece was finished while watching the Frank Sinatra Classic, "The Man with the Golden Arm" this was back in the days of film when a guy could be named, "Frank ie Machine" and no one thought it was strange. Here are just two quick things to look for in the film, the performance of Kim Novak as "Molly" oh Golly, she's a vision and of course easy to run to when Machine "the Dealer" finally turns his back on his cloying and annoying wife Zosch. Comedic actor Arnold Stang kills it as "Sparrow" Frankie's right hand man servant, who gets all the great idiot savant lines, think of him as a dirtier, faster , street wise version of Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man". Finally Ol' Blue Eyes strikes at our very hearts with a modern dance piece where he is going through withdrawl and flips and rolls around a hotel room that he's locked into, unfortunately it is so choreographed that it looks like some of the modern dance I saw in my student days at York University. The Bernstein score is fantastic.
A.S Hahn
Get to the Fringe Festival!
Hot and Cold Running Love TapsPeople just love them, a great addition to any bathroom. But if you buy one you have to pay me on time, unlike everyone else on this planet.
A.S Hahn
Pilot, Woman with a City II
Woman with Wings IIIThe above story contains both birds and bicycles - no small feat. Below is a bicycle story from E.S
I left my pee on Dundas Street:
It's my birthday and I am riding back home with my partner. We are expecting guests for dinner. The day is beautiful and he has taken me to buy my gift. But, it didn't really work out that way.The story goes something like this::.He wanted to hear about my night with a former lover. It wasn't a topic I wanted to discuss at that moment but his pain ferments very differently than mine. Not to mention his own lethargy from a grueling break-up with his lover. I was not right of mind. My confusion took me away from him as he rode ahead. I have missed my opportunity through traffic and end up turning the corner. I hate talking. My mouth doesn't work and my brain doesn't connect. Too much is missing, like the sense was knocked out. I am still trying to recover from the blows of the night before.
Yes, it is my birthday. My naked day. My freedom day. Freedom day – that's funny. It is in the moment of conception that our freedom is revoked. Trapped in a small shell with small skin in a small sack in a small womb in a small yet accommodating belly only to be pushed through a small hole. Usually. On this particular day, freedom isn't overly forthcoming. My partner is putting on his brave face in order to hide his animosity. His laugh isn't genuine and neither are the arms he wraps around me. No, today we don't feel very free. Where does this leave me? Day dreaming. Wondering if having other lovers is where my path lies. Day dreaming. Watching my partner ride farther away from me.
Day dreaming and missing my opportunity through traffic, risking my life, then attempting to jump a curb only to crash the front tire into said curb, hitting my nearly full bladder on my handle bars and in turn – leaving my pee on Dundas St.. A puddle to be exact. I stood there, staring at the puddle under my bike, not even caring if people were around. Tears streamed down my face. The salty drops falling into my pee puddle. But it wasn't grief or embarrassment or exhaustion; I was just grateful to be pantyless in a skirt.
We'll be taking a break from the Women with Wings, as my love affair with feathers came to a crashing end with this painting. I wanted it to be a "daylight" work , so I didn't push/pull the chiascuro too much, but would like to do something similar that is "war" related - that may have to be a commission.
A.S.Hahn
Will be out of the studio until Sunday, but I thought I'd post the almost completed, "Fearless Nazi Killer" commission, the email went something like this, " I want a painting of myself fighting Nazi's on a sinking flaming U Boat, with my dog "Megatron Scruffmeister" by my side. We snuck on board on a rowboat named ,"Jenny", Jenny is my wife's name, I name all my boats Jenny."
Canadian Girl (Calgary Brush Fire)As stated in the previous post I won't be around today, Friday may be dodgy too, so here's a gal to keep you warm while I'm away. ALSO please use madcraftshoppe@gmail.com for the time being, while I sort these pricks at MSN out.
A.S.H
Woman with a City II,
Woman with Wings III'm trying to do a third, but not having much luck with it, I may have taken this as far as it can go. Here are some anecdotes about birds, enjoy, I did.
P.F wrote:
The day after my granddad died, a swallow flew into our living room and lit on the chair where he would always sit. After a few seconds it then flew into the dining room and circled my granddad's chair and then flew back out the patio window.My dad and I couldn't believe it.
S.E wrote:
do you really want to hear about my foster budgie William? He died the same weekend as my grandfather. It's now officially more funny than touching or sad ,the timing and circumstances of William's death, not my grandfather's.
B.M wrote:
Continuing with the budgie them...When we were younger the rules were simple: Green budgies were namd Sammy.Blue budgies were named Timmy.Then one day Timmy III laid an egg.... t really screwed us up.
L.L wrote:
When I was about 10, my mom and dad did renos in the kitchen, including glueing new linoleum. They forgot to move my budgie Coco out of the kitchen, and the poor little thing died of a glue overdose.
P.F (added)
Speaking of budgies...my ex and I had a lovely blue budgie that we named Fergal. We left him with a friend when we went on our honeymoon. When we picked him up, there were 2 budgies in the cage. Our friend had found a green budgie in her backyard and thought Fergal might need a friend. We kept him and named him Seamus. Anyway, we figured that since Seamus grew up on the streets of East Van, he was a tough bastard and scared the living hell out of poor Fergus and constantly tramatized him.
C.M.T wrote:
A neighbour's daughter found a fledgling robin out of its nest, and has raised it with night crawlers. A couple of nights ago it took flight, but comes back every few hours demanding to be fed, and no one is at home, it goes to the neighbours and carries on until someone gets a spade and digs up some worms. It is beautiful, all speckled, but will come right up to your feet and loudly cheep "Feed me! Feed me!"
N.O wrote:
When I was a kid, one of my teachers asked me to dog sit her two Bichon Frise dogs. In return she would give me two of the Peach Faced lovebirds she bred. One of the dogs drowned in my neighbours pool. It was one of the worst days of my life (I'm welling up just thinking about it). My teacher still gave me the love birds, which was, I think very big of her. Lovebirds don't like to be alone, so when one of the two died, we had a to find a new mate post-haste for the widower.
S.E (Finished)
you want trauma? Come home from your grandfather's funeral to an empty cage with a post it on it:"sue - i didn't know what to do. please call me. Saundra"
M.M wrote:
our pet rat ripped the leg off our pet finch, when i was 15, at which point i figured he ought to eat the rest of it.
A.S.H
Woman with Paper DollsThis was a recent commission, a variant on the unfinished "Medea" piece from "Silver" which was then altered to be "Woman with Crows" (see tags, "Silver"). I do believe that this is much more successful than my original attempt, the positioning of the dolls etc, the brighter sky work to make a strong, appealing piece.
I don't have much time to write as I have several pieces to finish, but I would like to thank the folks who have sent me anecdotes over the past week, many of them will be posted here as the work they correspond to is completed.
it's a beautiful day,
A.S.H
The Book Thief #2,I've often posted how I don't listen to music while I work, people often seem surprised to hear this, I don't know why, maybe it's how they picture a stereotype of a painter working. I would think they should work in silence, but I don't much care for stereotypes.
Today I am listening to music, but music that is full of wonderful images that can roam around in my head, I was walking home from The Press Club and was lucky enough to run into Megan Hamilton on my way home, I had planned to be at her last residency gig at the Tranzac but wasn't able to make it up as I had to deliver a painting in the late evening, but there she was with good friends in tow and I was able to buy her most recent CD, "See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard" and I am enjoying it very much, I believe she's playing tonight at the Horseshoe, Pink Mountaintops are also playing, so if it isn't sold out, look into it immediately.
Here's a link to Megan Hamilton singing, "Sleeping on the Floor" from her first album, "Feudal Ladies Club" ( I think that's the title, correct me if I'm wrong.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHlSKWePwzY&feature=related&pos=10
That night I was also given the "Blood Ceremony" album, if you like death metal with flutes and female vocals, this is the album for you. Here's a link to "master of confusion"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWU1nJSCeWM&feature=related&pos=0
Above is the Second image from the "Book Thief" series, it's hanging at Grateful Head, where I am extended until the 1 rst of July and have hung most of the work from the 50 posts series.
have a good one,
A.S.H
as a p.s if you need album art work I would be happy to work with you.
Canadian Girl, Red FlagAwhile ago a friend asked me to donate a piece for auction to a charity organization she is a member of (more on this later) I of course agreed to donate a piece, I think it's impportant to give as much as you can if you are able. For years I would donate to auction for Theatre's in Toronto. I usually submit something small so the piece is guranteed to sell and the charity can benefit from the donation.
After The Press Club show I realized that I didn't have anything small - or more pointedly didn't have anything optimistic looking, as I think my current work is a little too "dark" for these kind of events, so I crafted up a more "old school/straight ahead Canadian Girl for the event. Here she is.
Taking the day off of painting to get out and wander the city with PPBJ (inside joke), I submitted more names for fb'ers to vote on, these came off the top of my head, "Quilted Crow, Our Lady of Goldfish and Funeral for Pynamas - now people probably figured out that "Funeral for Pyjamas" is the quirkiest of the bunch and so that's what we're doing now, I will probably use the other two titles as well.
I will also be posting more anecdotes, this time, people relaying their stories of the first Funeral they attended.
best,
A.S.H
Chimney Men, Canadian Girl/flood plainI am posting two because I am so exhausted I can't remember how many posts I'm at. Anyways I don't have much to say except, I decided to use the "Chimney Men" title. I then asked the folks on fb to send me titles and I would create a painting based around the titles I liked - this did not work - fb is really just a place for your pals to be pithy and that's exactly what I got. Too bad for them, because the person whose title I chose I was going to surprise them and mail them the piece as a gift. Oh well.
The Canadian Girl is back, she's taller, the mood is dark, I believe she's in Nova Scotia right now on the flood plain, so she's lucky to be wearing those Wellies.
off to die,
A.S.Hahn
The Book ThiefHave been working on a couple of commissions so I just didn't have the time to post yesterday, I had to take a break from painting bicycles, that last one was driving me nuts, so I asked readers over on fb to vote on a title for the next series, and boy did they ever respond, (not really at all, 5 people voted) and the first title to win, was the above, "the Book Thief" the other choices were "chimney men" and "standing on ships".
I like this piece, I really like the title, it's been touched up a little since I posted it and the shadows of the arms are much improved.
Before going off to sleep I asked fb readers for another title, the options were, once again The Book Thief #2, Chimney Men and Canadian Girl, I haven't tallied the votes yet, (I believe there were six this time) but just check back here later in the day to see what title won.
BOOK THEFT ANECDOTES FIRST EDITION
N.D
hhhhhm I stole a Melody Maker mag years ago - for my love of T-Rex
S.D
You know, I did. I stole a Penguin Classics edition of Augustine's City of God from Ned Dickens' bookshelf.
C.L
I stole "The Omen" from an abandoned cottage when I was around 12 or 13. Had nightmares for weeks...
M.C
I stole a book of Poe poetry from the GRCI library. I wouldn't have, I took it by accident - but their book stealer alarm didn't go off, so I thought it was meant to be and didn't give it back.
M.M
i stole war and peace and dantes inferno from the Lindsay Public Library in 1987, i wanted to read them over the summer, but i knew i'd have to bring them back and be renewed a few times, and i already had $5 worth of over due fines, so i took em.
these are the people I choose to spend my time with.
A.S.Hahn
Save the Bicycles #3
More bicycle anecdotes.
M.M sent in," I remember my childhood girlfriend told me of driving her bike down a steep street and hitting a bump, flipping off, and landing on her eyeball. she skinned her eyeball."
R.F wrote, "The day I got my training wheels off I was so excited I rode my bike up the street on two wheels than had to stop and barf. I had just drunk 2 large glasses of Welch's grape juice, so it was a very memorable day."
A.S.Hahn
madcraftshoppe@live.com
Save the Bicycles #2,Now that the camera is working properly, here is the second of the series, and here a two short anecdotes about cycling.
"Many, many years ago I worked as a portrait artist at Canada's Wonderland. In spite of the crappy pay and long hours, I loved that job. The only real hassle for me was the commute. Two subways and a bus to get up to Vaughn. The trip could take anywhere from forty-five minutes – if I was really lucky, to an hour and a half. On top of that, I was always sharing the bus with annoying groups of hyperactive kids. It got to the point where I decided that biking the 30km each day was a more favourable option. This worked out fine for the ride TO work, but coming home was a completely different story.
There are long stretches of Jane Street, north of Steeles, where there aren't any streetlights. It's really more of a highway at that point. Coming home at 10pm meant riding through these stretches without really being able to see anything. In spite of having a light and reflectors, I suspect I was pretty invisible to the other drivers as well. One night during my ride home a car flew past me. There's no way he was paying attention because he passed by me so closely that his sideview mirror clipped my handlebar – which spun my front wheel to the side, effectively bringing me to an instant stop and throwing me over the handlebars and into the street. The car didn't even slow down.
I must have been out for a few moments because the next thing I remember I was sitting in the middle of the road struck with panic because I was sure I was going to get run over, but as I looked ahead there wasn't a car in sight. I DID notice that the road seemed to be getting steadily brighter, though. Apparently, in my daze I mixed up which side of the street I was on, and I actually had my back to oncoming traffic. I turned around just in time to see a transport truck bearing down on me, probably less than twenty-five meters away. I was sure this was how I was going to die.Without thinking, I rolled onto the shoulder just in time to see the truck run over my bike which was still laying in the road. Again, this guy didn't even slow down, let alone check to see if I was alright.
While thankful that I was still alive, I was now faced with being stuck up in the middle of nowhere at 10:30 at night, with a busted bike. Then the second miracle happened. The only damage to my bike was that the handlebars were rotated ninety degrees – parallel with the frame. I easily rotated them back and was on my way. For the next few days I took the bus.
from M.S and here's one from A.M
Back in my somewhat-darker-clothing days, I used to bike back'n'forth to work on a regular basis (now work is too close). My bike at the time was a beat-up old cruiser my old boss "found in his basement" and handed off to me (presumably easier than taking it to the dump).
Of course, I immediately painted it flat black. The Boy of the time, though, had reservations about girls-who-wear-all-black-riding-dark-bikes-at-night and (sensibly) insisted I add some sort of reflective material.So I painted a skeletal structure on the bars using a white iridescent paint (source from Honest Ed's hardware section, of course).Seemed to work fairly well, but did nothing to improve my general lack of coordination.
So there I am, peddling my way home early one evening, mass of black locks tied up in a ribbon, black mini skirt and big'ol black platform boots, perched atop my undead bike. Ever safety-conscious (or at least having the intention to be), I was trying to make the best of a break in the traffic just before Dundas and Bathurst to make a turn up one of the side streets....When my tire got stuck in the streetcar tracks.
Next thing I knew, a little old man was dragging me and my bike off the road, my head spinning and my hand wet with blood as it covered a new gash in my chin.Quite the spectacle, I'm sure, though my hero said nothing.Later I realized it was because he was mute.
stay tuned for more, many thanks to the folks sending in their stories.
A.S.H
Save the Bicycles! #1Have you ever noticed that in photos of hurricanes and tsunamis people always seem to have their bicycles with them ? I wanted to look at this in a series - simple as that - something catastrophic that cues into my love of large events illustrated through minute narrative moments. I mean really, if you take a look at my work , their are people on fire, running from floods, facing down unseen opponents, swinging axes, etc.
People in Toronto (and I imagine other parts of the globe) have a symbiotic relationship to their bicycles, they are like metal pets - I have neither a pet or a bicycle, but I wanted to explore the relationship and collect any bicycle related anecdotes to add to this series.
This is the first of the "50 Posts in 50 Days" series, I meant to post it yesterday, but I didn't have any batteries for my camera.
A.Shay Hahn
Also in the links section, check out "Seven Crowns Tattoo" this is where I get my work done by the Reverend Matthew Ellis, one of the finest tattoo artists in Toronto.
One Person On a Sea SOLD, 
