Friday, January 08, 2010

New Year's Resolutions...and progress

Animals!
each piece is 6x 6 inches, acrylic on canvas, in a reclaimed wood frame, a selection of them are at the Press Club, you have to go there to get them

I did write a list, here it is, here's how it's going so far, these are of course in no particular order of importance.

1. Buy a ukelele, perhaps learn to play it (record ep): I'll buy the ukelele before the end of the month, I figure I can watch enough clips on You Tube to get up to speed pretty fast. I have small hands and carpal tunnel syndrome, so bar chording on a guitar would send me to the hospital. The ukelele will be kind to my hands

2. Dig out Spanish Language Cd Rom and get back at it: This is the resolution that I drop every year, I say I'll do it and then I don't, hopefully this year, since I spend so much time "listening" to movies, I'll be able to get back into learning Spanish.

3. Reduce Smoking 50% by April: Not too worried about being able to accomplish this, currently I've been reducing the amount I smoke signifcantly, most people I know have quit, I'm getting tired of being the guy going outside, it's bloody boring.

4. Go to Montreal for the weekend I think we'll do this in the early spring, it's been years since I've been to Montreal and I'd like to go there for a weekend and stay somewhere nice. I rarely travel, it's been years since I've been on a plane. I'm too poor and committed to painting to even think about vacations, but this year I am going to periodically leave the ten block radius that I exist in to see new things.

5. Finish One of Three Illustrated Books for Children: I've been keeping notes and sketches for years for a short series of kids books, sure there's no money in it, but when did I ever make money ? I am committed to getting three of them finished and published by the time I'm Forty.

6.Buy More Plants: Thanks to the Practical Pirate I now have TWO plants, so I'm well on my way, I have a spider thing, that looks terrible, so I talk to it all the time. Now I have added a lovely jade plant, you only have to water them every two weeks, so I may just buy eight of them at once and cross this off my list.

7.Reduce Clothes, DVD's and Books by 30% by the Spring: I've got a good start on this, already started folding the clothes and putting them into bags for the diabetes people to pick up. The DVD"s I'll just put in a box and leave them outside, they will be gone in seconds and I think a group of us are organizing a book swap, I'll let interested parties know when that's going to happen.

8.Spend More Time with My Friends Children:This is pretty self explanatory, most of my friends have one or two of the things, I should get to know them. What kid wouldn't want an "Uncle Shay" in their lives ?

9.DON'T Explain/Apologize for the shitty habits of others, not my job:Yes compared to the above resolutions this does seem to be coming from left field but it's important and something that I've felt for a long time. Let me explain, I know a lot of people, more than you do I'm sure, somehow in my life people have decided that I"m the guy to come to when they have a question about how someone else is acting. Yes, I am observant and wise, but guess what ? I'm not going to offer an opinion, that department of "Services Provided by Andrew Shay Hahn" is closed. If someone is acting like a dick, go talk to them yourselves.

That's pretty much the list, there were some smaller items, build wooden toys, blog more often, eat three vegetarian meals a week, but they didn't seem to need to be written in bold.

The Press Club show is up til the 30th of January, if you scroll down on the blog, you can see what is currently hanging there - even though I changed a couple of things.

A.S.Hahn
madcraftshoppe@live.com


Proof that just about anything fits in a cup.



A Cup of Rockets
A Cup of Siberian Huskies (commission)
both pieces 12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas
reclaimed wood frame
A Cup of Rockets will be at the Press Club on Sunday Jan 10.
Hello and Happy New Year, awhile back on fb I asked people to suggest things that might be put in a cup (see above, past posts, "A Cup of Wolves, Blackbirds, Crows, Falcons) two great answers from actor/playwright Marjorie Chan were Antique Keys and Violins, which I plan on doing some time in the new year. I came up with the above image and also "A Cup of Stooges", which just makes me laugh every time I think about it.
There is something interesting about the image, I began thinking about my relationship to coffee, the routine, the pleasure, the feeling when you drink too much coffee. I'm sure we all have stayed up late working on something with a pot on a realizing that it wasn't making us any smarter.
I have friends who are definitely connoseurs (sp) of the stuff, who travel great lengths for unique blends and concoctions, I'm glad they found a vice they like. Toronotonians seem to never leave the house without one in their hand, years ago in Now magazine there was a comic strip called, "The City" one memorable strip was "the Next Stage in Evolution" which depicted our thumb and pointer finger merging together into an ideal cup holder to carry our coffee.
I myself am satisfied with just about any brand, I don't often buy the stuff at coffeeshops, I think Starbucks tastes burnt/over roasted, The Second Cup tastes oily and Tim Hortons tastes dry and overprocessed. I also think that people who sit in cafes with their laptops need to get a life.
If you'd like to commission your own "Cup of..." for yourself or a friend, please feel free to contact me at the address below.
The show at the Press Club is up until the 30 th of January, so there's still lots of time to go and check out the work, you can also request to meet me there to discuss the show.
A.Shay Hahn

Friday, December 18, 2009

The Garrison, permanent collection and rotating display




top, "Jerusalem", middle "Untitled (Titans)"
bottom, "Woman with Scissors" and "Raised by Plastic Wolves"
both pieces are 20 x 20 inches, acrylic on canvas,
$400.00 each

I am happy to finally get around to announcing my collaboration with Lee Van Veghel and Shaun Bowring the owners of the Garrison. They have purchased two pieces, "Jerusalem" and "Untitled (Titans)" for permanent display at their most awesome and exciting live music/ hang out palace. The space above beside the list of libations will be for me to use to hang/change work as I please, I decided to hang two pieces from "Silver" (see tags) that I still have and am quite fond of, "Woman with Scissors" and "Raised by Plastic Wolves" .The work looks great in the space and taught me a lesson in balance and display. I also realized that to use this space I will have to create works that are at least 20 x 20 inches to have any impact in the room, so expect to see a couple of larger works appearing there in the new year. Here is a link to the listings for the bar, some of your favourite local bands and djs and Trampoline Hall will be playing there soon.
and here's a link to their face book group
thanks so much Lee and Shaun.
A.S.Hahn


Thursday, December 17, 2009

Current Press Club Lay out, Dec. 17th











East Wall (Back)
This Little Piggy Loved Stiegl $100.00
A Quiet Place V, $140.00
The Girl Who Built a Fort $140.00
The Woman Who Loved Her Piano $140.00
This Little Piggy Had Good Luck $100.00
This Little Piggy Had None $100.00
The Woman Who Fell $400.00
EAST WALL (FRONT)
Three Witches $140.00
The Boy Who Loved the Water $140.00
The Book Thief $140.00
The Woman Who Fell, black books $140.00
The Man Who Loved his Guitar II, $140.00
The Woman who fell, chair $140.00
EAST Wall (front)
Queen of Birds $ 400.00
The Woman Who Loved Her Guitar $140.00
The Man Who Loved his Guitar $140.00
An Angel for the Carpenters $400.00
Artemis $140.00
The Book Thief $140.00
WEST WALL
Prometheus $400.00
The Wide Awake Man (Rooster) $140.00
A Cup of Crows (mini) $100.00
A Cup of Crows, night (mini) $100.00
Woman with Wings $400.
West WallI Cannot Tell a Lie $140.00
The Woman Who Slept $140.00
A Quiet Place to Call My Own IV $340.00
A Quiet Place I $140.00
Canadian Girl at the Breakwater $140.00
A Quiet Place II $140.00
The Woman Who Slept II $140.00
The Keeper of Lost Books $140.00
The Wide Awake Man $140.00

Here is the new layout at the Press Club, I've actually shifted a few pieces around since these photos were taken, but all of this work is currently there. Be a smart ass and want to purchase the Stiegl Pig, it seems to be what this whole show is about. "I want the Stiegl pig" etc. etc. The show is up til the end of January, but do me a favour and at least go see it now.
happy ho ho
A.S.Hahn

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

This Little Piggy...











This Little Piggy Loved Metal, This Little Piggy Cried, This Little Piggy Had Good Luck, This Little Piggy Had None, This Little Piggy Loved Stiegl
each pig is 8 x10 inches, in a stained reclaimed wood frame
$100.00 each.

The Press Club Opening was a great success, I am always touched that people go out of their way to come and have a look at the work and support what I'm doing. The Sure Things were great and made quite a few new fans. Thanks to everyone at the Press Club. The Show is ongoing until the 30 th of January, sold work is being replaced with new stuff. I may go over tonight to shoot how the walls have evolved since Saturday, there are eight pieces up that have replaced what has been sold already.

If you'd like to book an appointment to meet with me to see the work message me here. Now back to all the commissions that I've let slide. I'll also upload some new and old work over the next few days.

all the best,

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com






Saturday, December 05, 2009

Tonight Is the Night, 7-10pm at the Press Club.

Opening Reception
"the Wide Awake Man, new paintings by Andrew Shay Hahn"
the Press Club, 7-10pm.
The Press Club is located at 850 Dundas West, between Euclid and Manning on the North Side of the Street.
See the layout of work on display below.
hope you can make it, it would be great to see you,
A.S.H

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Current Press Club Layout











Press Club 850 Dundas
WestBack Wall (from L to R)
The Woman Who Slept III 12 x 12, SOLD
Save the bicycles!, 12 x 12 SOLD
The Woman Who Loved Her Piano, 12 x 12 $140.00
New Found Land Girl, 12 x 12, $140.00
The Woman Who Fell, 20 x 20 $400.00
This Lil Pig Had Good Luck, 8 x 10 $100.00
The Lil Pig Had None, 8x 10, $100.00
(Cont'd below)all work is framed in stained, reclaimed wood
West Wall, (from L to R)
The Man who Loved the Moon, 12 x 12 SOLD
The Woman Who Slept, 12 x 12 $140.00
A Quiet Place V, 12 x24 $340.00
A Quiet Place I 12 x 12 $140.00
Two Black Cats, 12 x12 SOLD
A Quiet Place II 12 x 12 $140.00
A Cup of Crows 12 x 12 SOLD
A Quiet Place III 12 x12 SOLD
The Wide Awake Man 12 x 12 $140.00
West Wall (from L to R)Starting with Largest Piece
Prometheus, 20 x 20 $400.00
The Wide Awake Man, Rooster 12 x 12 $140.00
The Woman Who Wrote, 12 x 24 SOLD
East Wall
An Angel for the Carpenters 12 x 24 $400.00
Artemis 12 x 12 $140.00
The Man Who Loved His Guitar 12 x 12 $140.00
The Woman who Loved Her Piano, 12 x 24 $340.00
Queen of Birds/ Red Houses, 12 x 12, SOLD
Thief of Books w/fox 12 x 12 $140.00
Woman Who Fell/ Little Black Books I 12 x 12 SOLD
Woman Who Fell II/ Little Black Books 12 x 12 $140.00
Queen of Birds II/ White Houses, 20 x 20 $400.00
The Angel Who Could Not Swim, 12 x 24 SOLD

Thanks to all who came to the Preview last night, it was alot of fun. The Opening Reception is Saturday, December 5th from 7-10pm, with the Sure Things as musical entertainment. It's gonna be a great time, so bring a friend, have some food and fine pints, hear the tunes and enjoy the work.

If you would like to reserve work contact me here, if you would like a personal appointment, please do the same. The Press Club Opens at 7pm, seven days a week and is located at 850 Dundas West, North Side, between Euclid and Manning, right across from Cafe Brasilliano and Musa.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.S.Hahn





Monday, November 30, 2009

The Wide Awake Man







A Quiet Place to Call My Own V, 12 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas
$340.00 framed
The Wide Awake Man I, The Wide Awake Man II, A Quiet Place to Call My Own IV,

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$140.00 each framed


So the show is going up on Tuesday, December 1 rst and there is an advance viewing from 7-8:30 pm, I will be there for you to chat with and purchase early, work has been selling steadily online, so much so that I apologize for not updating on the blog what has sold and what hasn't. The Opening is Saturday, Dec.5th from 7-10pm with the Sure Things as musical entertainment, followed by Self Cynic at 10:30. I also reccomend you come early if you want to see the work, it's going to be a great party. I'm still finishing work and posting it so expect this train to keep on rolling until the 5th of December.


Like last time at the Press Club this will be a Salon Style show, so if you purchase work you can take it home with you that night.


A.S.Hahn


madcraftshoppe@live.com



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

of books and birds and babes...




The Woman Who Loved Her Piano
12 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed
$340.00
The Keeper of Lost Books (Books About the Trees)

The Keeper of Lost Books (Books About the Sea)

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas

$120.00 each / $140.00 framed


A.Shay Hahn




Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Opens the Show, Saturday December 5th, 7-10pm


A Cup of Crows II, The Man who Loved his Guitar III
12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas
$120.00 each/ $140.00 framed
The Sure Things will be playing the Opening Reception, they're a great local band, followed by Self Cynic who will play from 10:30- closing, I will be long dead by then, so come early when I'm at my best. Once the show is hung I will post photos here so you can see the layout of the show and what I've hung for the first week.
As always the show will change as the work sells, I have created quite a body of work over the past year and will be putting up new stuff each week. The show has a long run, all the way to the end of January, so I'm curious what it will look like then.
A.Shay Hahn
I've also been working on lots of commissions and I'll post those once the show is up to avoid confusion as to what is at the Press Club. The Press Club is located at 850 Dundas West, between Euclid and Manning on the North Side of the Street, directly across from Musa and the legendary Cafe Brasilliano.


Hangs the show, Tuesday December 1rst....







A Quiet Place to Call My Own I, III, II
The Woman Who Fell (black books) I & II
each painting is acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12 inches
$120.00 each / $140.00 framed

So we're in full on madness mode now folks, promoting, building frames, picking what to hang first, drinkin beer etc. The show will be up on the First of December, the Press Club will be open at 7pm, folks are coming that day to get first pick of the work before the Opening so come early, no gurantees what you like will be there for the Opening.

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A.Shay Hahn





Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Canadian Girl Project continued


Canadian/Armenian Flag with Olive Branch (left), Canadian Girl
12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas
commission
more to come, swamped with stuff to do.
A.S.H

Larger works for the Press Club...and small ones.







Prometheus, Queen of Birds, The Woman Who Fell
20 x 2o inches, acrylic on canvas
$400.00 each
The Woman Who Loved Her Guitar
12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas
$120.00

There will be another announcement, hopefully coming soon, so stay tuned, here are some larger versions of some of the 12 x 12's that I wanted to do, I wanted some more room for colour in the work and variations on the poses. I love the 20 x 20 size.

A.S.H




Friday, November 13, 2009

The Garrison is Open

The Angel Who Could Not Swim
12 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas
three hundred dollars
A huge congratulations to Lee and Shaun at the Garrison for throwing a great opening party, located on Dundas, just west of Ossington, (but what isn't these days) here's a link to their listings http://garrisontoronto.com/ so you can keep up on all the events, gigs and club nights, if you didn't know The Garrison is also the new host venue for "Trampoline Hall" one of the greatest events in Toronto, I'll add a link for them later on when I have some new work to post.
When you visit you can see two of my larger works hanging in the main room, "Jerusalem" and "Untitled (the Titans)" which both look great in the space.
In other news, the Press Club show , now titled, "the Wideawake Man" will be up on the first of December, this may seem like a long time from now, but it really isn't, I have at least ten more images sketched out that I'd like to have hanging for the Opening so we'll just have to stay out of the pubs (unless I'm promoting) and burn the candle at both ends.
y'know I thought I had more news, but I think I'll be doing some more posting later on today.
talk soon,
A.Shay Hahn

Sunday, November 08, 2009

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

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Hallowe'en

Two Black Cats
12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas
$120.00

It's Saturday the 31rst and that can only mean one thing, a general feeling of indifference towards Hallowe'en, now don't get me wrong Shoppers, I love the imagery, I love the spirit and the creativity, I love horror movies more than anything, you'd think it would be something that I would throw myself into. I just don't feel motivated to dress up, not for a few years now. A dear friends of mine used to host our yearly Hallowe'en parties, they'd have headstones with our names on them (a la Simpsons credits), they won "best decorated" awards and I think their house was featured on CP24.

Everyone really went all out for those parties, I prefer the memories.

I've had some memorable costumes myself, ones that people still talk about this time of year, Man With A Giant Ass, Baby Shay, Covered In Bats!, being the three most popular. Every year I say, "I'll make something great for this year." and then I don't, there's no shortage of parties and bars to go to, I have a house full of bits of wood and cloth and toys and masks, but I get so busy painting for the November show at the Cameron (which is now December at the Press Club) that I can't be bothered or that I just feel pretty burnt out and find it hard to move my energies into creating a costume.

I love to see photos of my friends kids' dressed up, love to see groups of folks go wandering by, adore the slutty outfits worn by the brave woman who aren't afraid of the weather, etc. etc. So I would like to wish you all a very Happy Hallowe'en, look forward to seeing the photos.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Something Wicked....







Top:Three Black Cats, The Woman Who Built A Fort, Three Witches, They Loved the Moon
12 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, $120.00 each
I don't know if it's the fact that Hallowe'en is fast approaching but things at the Shoppe have definitely taken a turn for the ghostly around here. Classical Gothic, none of these images were done to deliberately reference the coming of the 31rst. I've actually been working on them off and on all month and just happened to finish in the past couple of days.
There hasn't been much to report here lately, working on a lot of alphabet shoppe letters right now (see links, the alphabet shoppe) people seem to have caught on that ordering early is the best way to get the work before December. The Press Club show is going to be big and I'm going to be busy, so buying any paintings right now is reccomended, most of the work sold in the first week, even before the Opening Reception (this year, Saturday, December 5th, 7- 10 pm). I will accept commissions for the month of November, but December may be too late to get them when you want them.
I still have to organize my process notes into coherent paragraphs, so bear with me on that one, lots of good thoughts about what I do and where it comes from.
I will also soon be posting a recent commission, that info is still to come.
A.S Hahn