July's Adult Stencil and Mixed Media workshop boasted three motivated students. In the three 1.5-hour sessions, students worked with collage, acrylic painting and stencil/spray painting. Below are pics from the sessions including the final pieces.
For a current PONSHOP Class Schedule, Click Here.
PONSHOP's October Adult Mixed Media Class hosted four enthusiastic students willing to get their hands dirty using mixed media (paper collage and acrylic paint). Below are some photographs of their work at the end of their last session. Good Job!
August, 2009: I picked the hottest days of the year to get out there and do this mural commission in Falmouth, Virginia - but it was well worth it. Below are some images taken over that week. Thanks to our client, Professional Maintenance, and thanks to my assistant Jeff who whose help was exceptional. If interested in commissioning PONSHOP for any interior or exterior mural project - contact me here.
The completed piece....
Artists working to better their country through the construction and appreciation of art.
July 13-17, 2009: The PONSHOP Student Mural Workshop was a great success. For one week, students had a chance to conceive and execute their ideas on a 12-foot by 8-foot canvas. Below is the (2 part) video chronicle of that week as well as some photos. Congratulations to all the students ( Ben, David, Finn, Johnny, and Jeff) as well as our photographer/videographers Allison and Zeph.
Part One:
Part Two:
From the PONSHOP class listing: "The mural is an effective way of bringing people together to create artwork that is intended for the public realm. This workshop will encourage students to work as a team to conceive and execute a large-scale mural. Imagination, self-expression, and cooperation are the keys to achieving this goal. Students will have access to explore a variety of media (acrylic paint, spray paint, stencils and collage) to adorn their collective wall."
"The Lost City #1" (detail), Mixed Media on Wood, 12"x36" $800.
July, 2009: As a follow up to the "Pagoda" Skateboard Decks I initiated in June, above is a detail of my most recent painting, "The Lost City #1". As many of my friends and colleagues already know, my background in architectural drafting and model making was how I got into making stencils in the first place. By the same token, my architecture education made me pretty obsessive when it comes down to doing this stuff (painting, drawing,etc.). Below is the completed painting (left) with a composite drawing of my stencil layers (right). Click images to enlarge.
One thing I really enjoy about turning my sketches into a mixed media painting is that I can use all of my arsenal (collage, acrylic paint, spray paint) to achieve the desired image. In a lot ways, the mixed media painting has informed me on how I can approach the stenciled deck series differently.
"The Lost City #1" will be on display at Art First Gallery for the month of July - check it!
Painting, Spray Painting, Drawing and Cutting - when my students have an idea, I help them use anything it takes to achieve their vision. David's private workshop was no exception. In his series of classes, he had an opportunity to learn some of the fundamentals of making a mixed media piece. Nice Job David! See below for the progress pics....
Students are provided a 48"x24" masonite board that they then prime and begin painting.
David used a variety of spray paints to give his background more depth and interest.
He used an enlarged copy of his robot sketch for the foreground figure.
Below is the latest painting fresh from the PONSHOP studio. Many of my friends and students have seen the progress over the past weeks and it's finally done. Mythological creatures have been a running theme of my work as of late, and I can only attribute the inspiration to growing up with a Dungeons and Dragons role playing set and then (as a college student) seeing the historic sculptures from Rome and Greece. Why a Griffin? honestly, the painting slowly developed into that form one night and after doing some research, I found that the creature (being half lion and half eagle) symbolizes intelligence, strength, and beauty.
"Griffin Capital" is currently on exhibit at Art First Gallery for the month of April.
If interested in purchasing, simply contact me via the PONSHOP website.
"Griffin Capital", Mixed Media on Canvas, 24"x24" $600
"Griffin Capital" (detail)
"Live For Me and I Will Live For You", Mixed Media on Paper, 36"x28" 2008I'm currently taking on private commission work for individuals who are looking for a painting with a personal touch. The piece above was completed last month for a family's Christmas gift. "Live For Me..." incorporates a number of items from the client's family album - from photos to memorabilia to song lyrics. This type of commission is always a great challenge for me since I'm using someone's most treasured and personal items to narrate a story about their lives.
"Live For Me and I Will Live For You", (Detail)
"Equilibrium 4x6 mini prints" - set of ten, signed by the artist.
December 2008: As we wrap up the year, I'm excited to announce that I'll be finishing another sketchbook project. "Equilibrium" is a chemistry textbook (approximately 8.5"x11" when opened) that I've been using as my collage book over the past three years. The pages that have reached completion were used to make this series of "mini" prints. Click images below to enlarge.
"Equilibrium 4x6 mini: page 520", Digital Print $18
"Equilibrium 4x6 mini: page 518", Digital Print $18
"Equilibrium 4x6 mini: page 418", Digital Print $18
"Equilibrium 4x6 mini: page 416", Digital Print $18
"Equilibrium 4x6 mini: page 514", Digital Print $18
"Equilibrium 4x6 mini: page 528", Digital Print $18
"Portrait of an Artist as a Young Boy", Mixed Media on Canvas, 18"x24" Sold
Diego collaborated with me on this one. He painted the blue background and I used pages from his sketchbook as collage material to build up the texture on his hooded sweatshirt.
"The River Is The Portal", Mixed Media on Canvas, 30"x30" $700
Seen up close, you can read the history of the city of Fredericksburg and Stafford, Virginia. It was pretty interesting to learn how the Rappahannock River played such a crucial role in the early exploration of this area and how it guided the development of the city's planning, commerce, and trade. It's funny how today so much of the city's architecture seems to turn its back on the river rather than integrate it into the public sphere. This painting won First Place in the Mixed Media category at the Bi-annual "Uniquely Fredericksburg" Juried Art Exhibit. The exhibition will run for the months of August and September at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (1201 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg).
"The New Babylon #2", Mixed Media on Canvas, 24"x12" $450
March 5th-30th, 2008. My featured artist show with Carol Iglesias opened at Art First Gallery in Fredericksburg, Virginia last week. "Destinations: Places Traveled, Places Dreamed" features recent paintings that are inspired by places visited and imagined. Below are some of my paintings exhibited in the show as well as a short video of the gallery. To view work by Carol Iglesias, you can visit her new website.
"Upon Arriving at Plaza Libertad", Mixed Media on Wood, 30"x40" $900 
"Landscape Triptych #1", Mixed Media on Paper, 37"x28" $1,200 
"Leaving La Mancha", Mixed Media on Canvas, 48"x17" $700 
"Sage Summons The Spirit For Sight", Mixed Media on Canvas, 24"x24" $800 
"Lion Capital", Mixed Media on Canvas, 24"x18" $600
"Metropolis Maze", Mixed Media on Canvas, 24"x24" $600
"The New Hieroglyph", Mixed Media on Canvas, 20"x20" $500
"The Last Pharaoh", Mixed Media on Canvas, 40"x30" $800 
"Dream Towers" , Mixed Media on Canvas, 72"x40" $2500
"Sunset Bridge", Mixed Media on Canvas, 12"x12" Sold 
"Scarlett (Black and Gold)", Mixed Media on Canvas, 12"x12" $200
If interested in purchasing (during the month of March), please contact or visit Art First Gallery: 824 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 540-371-7107 Hours: Mon-Sat 10-6pm, Sun 12-5pm
I'm getting ready for an upcoming show this March at Art First Gallery in downtown Fredericksburg. Fellow member, Carol Iglesias and I will be exhibiting new paintings for the month. The tentative title for the show is "Destinations" and will feature work inspired by places traveled and places dreamed...
Check out the show this March. Opening reception is Friday, March 7th 6-9pm at Art First Gallery 824 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA.
Here are some recent pics of the studio:
I'm pleased to announce that the piece above, "In The Coliseum", was selected to be shown in the juried 2008 Mid Atlantic New Painting Show.
This exhibition will be held at the University of Mary Washington's Ridderhof Gallery from January 24th to March 2nd, 2008. The opening reception is Thursday evening, January 24th from 5-7pm.
Check out some of the progress pics (circa exaclty one year ago) below:
We are hard at work making new and interesting art for the fall. In fact, in October, Scarlett and I will be teaming up with fellow LibertyTown artist (and good friend) Rob Landeck for a show at Bistro Bethem in Fredericksburg, VA. Below are some recent snapshots taken late night in the studio:
I wanted to share these pics of a commissioned painting that I completed a couple months back. Titled "Resonator (Out of Chaos Comes Order)" this painting now resides at the Fox Clocks studio at LibertyTown Arts Workshop. Once I hung the painting, the client and I were both excited to see how it meshed in with the rest of the shop.
If interested in a commissioned painting, simply contact me at shop@ponshopstudio.com.
Scarlett continues to make functional bird houses and bird feeders for clients. Her bird feeder, pictured here, is designed to accent any garden as well as accommodate the local birds. For more information about Scarlett's recent work, click here.Below are some pics from our Student Workshops this year. For a current schedule of our art and ceramic classes, click here.
"Dagger" by Harrison, 4th Grade
Matt creates his own pro deck, 7th grade
Hunter concentrated on his lettering to make a statement, 6th Grade
Mixing The Media: May 2007
Abigail's piece is inspired by her love of music, 6th Grade.
Madeline contrasts color and form for her piece, 7th Grade
PONSHOP Private Lessons
Max created a 3-piece stencil that he then used on wood as well as his gym shirt.
"Verse" by Max
Intro To Street Art: Winter 2007
Working in repetition and variation, these students practice lettering and freehand drawing in our studio.
Robert and Tristan are avid PONSHOP students. Their workshop focused on sharpening their spray paint skills.
"Boom" by Robert, 10th Grade
"GEN" by Tristan, 9th GradeBelow are some progress pics of paintings I'm working on for upcoming shows in February and March. -Enjoy! G
For all those local to the Fredericksburg, and the Washinton D.C. area, I'll be participating in an event called "Watching Paint Dry" at Art First Gallery in February doing live painting collaborations with other members. In fact I'll be working all day on Saturday, Feburary 3rd from 10-5 so pay a visit. In March, Rob Landeck and I will be showing new work at Hyperion Espresso (corner of William and Princess Anne Street). The tentative title is "In Stereo" so check it out on Friday, March 2nd and party with us.
