New Work for the Wilson 96

First Look at the Stars, 14 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed$260.00
The Light Sleepers (the Sisters II)11 x 14 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed SOLD
The Sisters, 11 x 14 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed SOLD

I think I'll be hanging the show at the Wilson 96 (College Str., East of Grace, South side near the Dragon Lady and the Royal) this weekend, probably Sunday, but I'll let you know and post some shots once it's all ready.

I've got a few things to finish before then so I don't have much time to write here.

The AWOL Square Foot show is on until the 5th of Sept. to head over to the Lower Ossington Theatre to check it out

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Ron Leary Gig Poster

Gig Poster for the Great Ron Leary

For T Shirt designs/ albums/ gig posters contact me here

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

AWOL Gallery Square Foot Show

Here's all the info that you're going to need to get yourself to AWOL Gallery's "Square Foot" show, the Lower Ossington Theatre is a lovely sky blue colour, it's on the West side of Ossington and AWOL is a bit of a baby food ochre it is also on the West Side, The Lower Ossington theatre has large windows so if you are standing on the west side you may miss their signage, I did, and I have to go there tonight and improv paint with the National Theatre of the World, if you don't know who they are, you obviously don't pay attention to the cover of NOW magazine.

So above are the two pieces I submitted to the show, and you can buy them unframed and at a higher price if you go check out this show, it's an amazing sight to see.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

The Wilson 96

Prometheus, 14 x 18, acrylic on canvas, framed $280.00

Lady with Two Axes, 12 x 16, acrylic on canvas, framed, $240.00

Lady with Two Axes, 12 x 16, acrylic on canvas, framed SOLD

The Wilson 96 is a great new bar on College Street just West of Grace, steps from the Dragon Lady and Balfour Books (until they move at the end of the month). I am currently finishing a bunch of new work which will be be hanging there from the 28th of August until the end of October. It's a lovely place for a pint and a chat and they have wicked jazz on Monday nights. Expect at least three more of these posts before I leave town to rest.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

A Brief History of the Chicken Toss

"Chicken Toss $1"

8 x 16 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$140.00 each

can be personalized

Here is a brief history of the Chicken Toss as written by Corin Raymond, the man credited with bringing the Chicken Toss to The Cameron House, if not all of Ontario.

"The Chicken Toss originated, as far as I can tell, in Alberta. It travelled from there to a few key places, namely Texas and Manitoba. Jason Nowicki of The Perpetrators was the first to introduce The Toss in Winnipeg, where it has gained cult and community status thanks to John Scoles at the Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club at Main and St. Mary.

One year, Times even had a fifty foot rubber chicken float in the Winnipeg parade. I've often tossed the bird at Times, and also at The Auditorium in Nanton, AB. The birds that fly in Wpg. all come from the same magic shop in Calgary. I remember Hayes Carll telling me that one time, while on tour in Texas, his crew tied a knot at one end of a towel, dampened it for weight, and used that to have a late night toss in the corridor of their hotel. The Toss can live without the chicken, but if you're doing a sanctioned round, you need the golden bird.

Rules of the game: the bucket sits 21 feet from the fowl line, and tossers toss from behind that line. It generally costs a dollar a toss, and whoever buckets the chicken gets the $$ in the pot. No folding the bird, no overhand tosses. It's like lawn darts, but with a chicken and bucket. It's not as easy as it looks, but it's definitely as fun as it looks. It's highly addictive. John Scoles gave me a bird when I was visiting Winnipeg and he even wrote on its thigh 'High and Lonesome Certified'. I brought that chicken to The Cameron House and we had some amazing tosses (and more to come!). Since Cosmo took over the bar he and his friends have been keeping the game alive and there are some true champs in that gang. And the love continues to spread.... that's a short history of The Chicken Toss as I know it."

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Recent Commissions

Mr. White Sheep and Sir Black Sheep

each 8 x 10 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

commissions

Once again, Mitzi's Sister, last day is Sunday, August 8th. Just walked 21 km in two days to try to get something new happening in my lungs instead of slow curing them with tobacco, felt pretty good, sweated out as much Vitamin Water and God's own H20 as I drank.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Mitzi's Sister, Final Week

" Chicken Toss $1.00"

8 x 16 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$140.00 each

can be ordered

from the series, "weapons"

Final Week at Mitzi's Sister, the last day to see the show is Sunday, August 8th. I will be there today from 6-8 pm if you'd like to chat about the show or pick up your artwork.

Upcoming at the Lower Ossington theatre I will be doing some improvisitional sketches and stuff, here's a copy of the email, it's how we artsty types communicate,

"Hey you guys - we're doing this art collaboration project in summerworks AUG 5-14th. We had the idea that since it's about the various arts coming together (music, performing, improv) we thought it'd be cool to have an improvising art corner. Basically, you'd tell me when you would like to book in - pull together what supplies you would need and we would give you a table to watch the show and be inspired by...plus, free drinks! The art could be anything from sketches, to paintings, to collages - anything that you get from watching the show.At the end of the night, we have a swag table that the pieces can be displayed on and SOLD with %100 going to YOU! (money and art pieces can be picked up at the end of the week)."

Here's a promo of what we are doing.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuuJGgXHCHPo&h=47a26Ws2jhSglr3jlBKTXrwI_jQ

What is Fiasco Playhouse?
http://www.youtube.com/

I will be there on the 11 th of August at the Lower Ossington theatre, doing my thing.

Also at the Lower Ossington theatre I will be participating in the "Square Foot" show that is run by AWOL Gallery, here's a link with that info.

http://www.awolgallery.com/square_foot/

There will also be a couple more interesting bits of info. coming your way after the 10th of August or so, but until then, enjoy Lord Simcoe (King of the Vikings!) Day.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Deep Sea Divers, the rest of the band

Deep Sea Diver with Keys, Deep Sea Diver Drummer

top 14 x 18 inches, bottom 18 x 18 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

commission

Here's the rest of the band, I can hardly wait for the client to send me a photo of all five hanging in the jam room. This was a real pleasure to do, lots of fun.

We are extended at Mitzi's Sister until the 9th of August so head on down to Parkdale and check out the show.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

PRESS FEST THIS WEEKEND.

at the top is a shot of some of my gig posters hanging at Mitzi's Sister beside the great Alun Piggins and the bottom is the line up for Press Fest, starting Friday at the Press Club, come and see a whole butt load of great bands, expect to see the last of the Muppets get sold off this weekend, so if you want one get there early, I think they are opening around 4 pm to accomodate the sheer volume of folks playing.

We may do a raffle for a piece, but I don't know if there will be time to organize it.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Pencil VS.Pens at Mitzi's Sister

Pencils / Pens

12 x 12 inches acrylic on canvas, framed

$160.OO each

I had these two hair bun pieces sitting on a shelf for over a year at least, maybe since the Anniversary show at the Press Club, I couldn't think of what to do with them, I liked the execution but always felt that they were unfinished. I realized that there hadn't been a " The Sunday Challenge!" on facebook since my show at the Cameron House in May, so this idea came quickly. In the end pencils defeated pens by a score of 1O to 2, I will probably do a couple more of these I immediately started scribbling down other ideas, tiny drink umbrellas and all kinds of stuff, so we'll see where this goes. Hopefully, "Pencils" will be at Mitzi's for the rest of the week, but I have a feeling that it will sell soon, I'll probably do a brown haired version over the next couple of days.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Praxis Theatre Fundraiser at the Press Club Tonight

Here are a bunch of Mitzi's Sister pictures, I said I wasn't going to, but why not.

Whoops, I forgot to post this earlier, due to computer buggery, TONIGHT, July 15 th at The Press Club, Praxis Theatre is having a fundraiser, since I can't help myself when it comes to Theatre Fudraisers I will donate $1O.OO from every painting sold tonight to Praxis. Admission is $1O.OO. Here's a fb link to the event.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127261050641178&index=1

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

An Idea is Like A Storm, at Mitzi's Sister

An Idea Is Like A Storm I & II

acrylic on canvas, framed

$180.OO each / $320.OO pair

I don't give up on an idea until I figure out why I painted it, so after painting the large piece for the Fringe Festival and being asked numerous times why I chose to paint the women with the books, so I decided to work on a couple in the studio, once I got the title I understood why I did it. I've been looking for new ideas, inspiration etc. and not finding anything, so instead of looking around I went looking in books. So the books are a gateway to new ideas, and it all made sense.

The work has been hung at Mitzi's Sister and looks great, the staff likes it and I've received several compliments, I don't think I'll post and pictures of the way the show is hung, it's all spaced so far apart that you don't get a sense of the paintings in the space, so just head to Mitzi's Sister to check it out, Queen West, west of Lansdowne between Fuller and Sorauren on the north side of the street. Mondays half price nachos and on Wednesday kids eat free (but only if they squeal and scream) . They open at 6 pm. I'll be there Mondays from 6-8 pm if you want to meet, see the work etc.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Musa Fundraiser at the Magpie, July 26th

As you may know, Musa, one of Toronto's most loved restaurants was damaged by fire and had to close, there will be a fundraiser at Magpie, which is one block East of Musa's location on the 26th of July,I'll be contributing a painting, here's the facebook link to the event, please come out and support Musa.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=134568366576416

A.Shay Hahn

Gord Zubrecki Band Gig Poster

Poster for the great Gord Zubrecki Band, they play (don't quote me on this) every second Monday at the Press Club and have a monthly at the Local for the summer, find them on MySpace.

There are also Press Fest and Big City Hicks gig posters showing up all over town.

to contact me for Gig Posters knock on the door below.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Mitzi's Sister, July 12- 31 rst

Top Woman with An Axe, Woman with a Hammer

10 x 12 inches, acrylic on canvas, framed

$160.00 each/pair $300.00

Middle Canadian Girl (Prairie), Canadian Girl (Maritime)

12 x 16 inches ( think) , acrylic on canvas, framed

$160.00 each

Bottom Woman With Hammers

14 x 18 inches (I think) acrylic on canvas, framed $200.00

On Monday I'll be heading down to hang at least twenty pieces at Mitzi's Sister, come on down Mondays for $3.00 beers and half price nachos, I should be there from 6-8pm most Mondays for pick ups, sales, questions. I will of course post photos once the show is hung.

thanks to T.Thompson for the hook up.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Deep Sea Diver Commission, the whole band

Here are three of four commissions for a whole band of Deep Sea Divers, still working on the Drummer, each piece is 14 x 18 inches, framed (Jacobean stain), acrylic on canvas, title for the series, "Deep In the Jam". My computer is still in the shop, I'll add more text when I get her back. To contact me for commissions just flick the switch below.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Lap Top is sick until Friday

URGENT.

Just a message to let you know ,my laptop is getting fixed, I will be off line until Friday, if I am working on a commission you will receive photos this weekend. Won't be checking email or posting until then.

cheers, stay cool

A.S.H

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Fringe Details and Posters about Town

Ran up to Fringe HQ today to get some detail shots of the 4 x 8 for you to see, also here's a Dodge Fiasco Gig Poster hanging in the window of the Dakota.

Happy Pride everyone.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Fringe Mural Day 2, "Last Man Standing"

The last photo turned out a little blurry and I probably should've shot some detail work so you can see the overwhelming number of brush strokes on this piece but here she is in all her glory, turned out pretty well for the time alloted. Who knows if my schedule frees up next weekend maybe I'll do another. Oh and of course, just like I wrote yesterday I had to force myself to focus more on one tight section than go all over the place. I taped a bunch of business cards to the sides of the piece, I figure I will do two or three singular women reading at some point this week just to keep the idea fresh for myself.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com

Fringe Mural, Day One "A.Shay Hahn, he's Bionic!"

So I decided work upright instead of horizontally, this follows my usual pattern of write one thing here and then do the exact opposite thing the next day ie: I won't be able to finish, I have to paint horizontally etc.

The folks who are working horizontally (3 out of 5 of the artists are working horizontally )have their canvases directly on the ground and so are bent over, or sitting on the ground while they work - this takes too long, hurts your posture, believe me, years ago I did a "Flooral" which is a fancy word for," mural on the floor" and instead of doing it upright and then attaching it to the floor, I painted it in place, I think I spent three days in bed when it was finished. Jack it up on milk crates folks, get a chair, ah well.

The upright mural is working much better, just had to get myself in a similar headspace that I had when I would do the murals at the Done Right Inn and just bash away at it for the first day and then I'll spend tomorrow refining (yeah sure, did you read how this post started). Currently it looks like one of those "technique paintings" you see in faux galleries, looks pretty but doesn't mean anything, so I'll also add, "make it mean something" to the list of To Do's.

Had a great chance to see some folks, actors etc., had a great talk with T.Hughes, but I didn't hang around when I was finished working, I always feel so strange at these events, Theatre is something I contribute to, I always give work to auctions when asked, many close friends are still involved in the business, I go see a show every few months, the thing is, "The Community". "The Community" is something I no longer really participate in, I love hanging out for a pint with someone I haven't seen in awhile, maybe two or three folks, but the whole overwhelming beer tent aspect, just isn't my bag anymore, too much going on, so I went for a quiet pint at the Red Light where the music was perfect. and then fell asleep to "the Newsroom", possibly the best show ever produced in Canada, "This Is Wonderland" Season One, being a close second.

I'm still pretty sure I won't be able to finish this thing.

A big thank you to all at the Fringe,G.Arthurs, P.Forst, D.J Morum, R. Reddie, Miriam (Oops, I don't know your last name) R, Ivey, and thanks to all the techs and volunteers who run tings, thanks to S.Edworthy for taking the photo that began this post. Hope everyone had a great Canada Day, and have a great Pride Weekend, I hope to either be shooting Zombies or doing some Porchin' I don't want to paint at all this weekend.

A.Shay Hahn

madcraftshoppe@live.com