Whispering Weekend....August 2008

I had the pleasure of taking a quick trip down to Norfolk, VA to check out Whispering Winds:

Thom White-vocals, Mike-guitar, Nic-drums, Dan-bass.
Check the clip below - "Rearrange" performed live at The Boot...

Thom gave me some original lyric sheets - I'll make a mint on E-bay in 2020Pinot the cat laying on thousands of dollars of artwork...I had some duties too: photographer, roadie, agent, number one fan...
Thom White is an architect/artist/musician/eccentric/creative fun guy...known him since 1992Thom collects neat stuff: This toy is the the most interesting piece of Pop Culture novelty that I've seen in a while...(check the video below and rock it like a Beverly Hills Cop)

Mixing The Media: August 2008

In the "Mixing The Media" workshop, students combined scraps of paper, acrylic paint, spray paint and stencils to create their compositions. Grace and Jeff were excellent students and methodically layered their boards with images,color, and form until complete.

Grace used xerox copies of earlier sketches as well as magazine clippings and some stock stencils in her collage.

Jeff brought his own artillery of stencils to the class and used them to adorn the perimeter of his collage. We concentrated on creating a "space" for the figures in the foreground, using layers of gesso and spraypaint over the newsprint text.

As a quick painting exercise, Grace painted a 6"x6" wood block portrait of her dog Farrah.

Thanks to all students that participated in this summer's workshops.
For a current PONSHOP Class schedule, click here.

Skate To Create: August 2008

I had a fresh crop of students for the "Skate to Create" Workshop in August. Nick and Jason put in three sessions of hard work and the results were really great. Scroll down to see their process...(click pics to enlarge)

Drawing and cutting takes up about 3/4 of the class time - but it's where all the design happens.Jason (aka J-Dogg) does an "X-Ray self portrait" for his deck graphic.Nick took one of his sketches from home and transposed it into this camouflage-like design.
Congratulations guys on a job well done...
For a current PONSHOP Class schedule, click here.

Brooks Park: Dude with a Video Camera

Thursday, July 31: Brooks Park was packed with the youth of today shredding their hearts out in anticipation of the Natural Koncept skateboard team's demo. It'll be a while until I get some video footage online from that day, but these stills taken before the demo show some of the "personalities" of the Fredericksburg skate scene. Shout out to Mark Eyestone of Fred Skates for hosting the event and DJ Bredren for bringing some reggae beats for the summer session.

Teddy back from the other side of the planet...

Patiently waiting for the Natural Koncept van to roll through.

B-Fiddy - 'Nuff Said...Mark holds down the fort as the NK guys hit the ramps
DJ Bredren Soundsystem in effectSmithson holds his own and drops hammers all dayKinda like the lineup from The Usual Suspects if Kevin Spacey wore more clothes.

July 2008: Studio Work

July came and went faster than ever. Throughout the month, I managed to kick out three new pieces on canvas. These paintings have been lingering around in my head for quite a while. I've always wanted to paint a portrait of Diego and it's been an ongoing exercise to do a plan study of downtown Fredericksburg. The "Babylon" series is actually a continuation of a number of studies and paintings I initiated back in New York and it's pretty exciting to return to that way of "constructing" a cityscape. Anyway, click the images to enlarge the view and enjoy:

"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

This series stems from my studies in Architecture initiated over fifteen years ago and was inspired by our view from our apartment in Brooklyn back in 1999. Although this composition is "fictional" it embodies the density, complexity, and inherent beauty that only an urban environment can offer.  This piece is also on exhibit at the "Uniquely Fredericksburg" show.

Summer Workshops: Skate to Create (June 2008)

June ushered in a new batch of students eager to get their summer skateboards painted and ready to ride. Our Skate to Create Workshop challenged kids to generate their own custom skateboard design and execute it using spray paint and stencils. Within the span of three 2-hour classes, they sketched, cut, and painted their own creations on a deck. Good job guys! Below are some snapshots from the final class...(click to enlarge).

Andrew was inspired by the mid-1990s Alien Workshop skateboard graphics...Noah created his own superhero character for his deck.Warner's deck took the "smiley face" and "mr. yuck" symbol to the next level. Paul and Ross took a "Skate to Create" workshop in the beginning of the month. Their hard work and serious attitude (see above) turned out some great designs. Good work!

Thanks to all students and parents for their participation in the PONSHOP workshops. To learn more about the classes we offer, click here. For a full class schedule from LibertyTown Arts Workshop, click here.

Five Years: LibertyTown Arts Workshop

May 17, 2008 LibertyTown Arts Workshop celebrated its five-year anniversary this past weekend with a Friday Night Gala and a Saturday Open House. We were a bit too busy during Friday's Gala to shoot any photos, but Scarlett managed to snap a few pics during Saturday's event. Thanks to all of you who came out for the anniversary to support Fredericksburg's largest fine art facility.

The Spinners and Weavers Guild set up this big woven spiderweb for the kids.

LibertyTown Founder Dan Finnegan (right) and friends of LibertyTown.

A scavenger hunt was set up for visiting children to explore all of the artists' studios...

Painter Rob Landeck demonstrated his blues-inspired painting techniques.

Bill Harris in his studio: oil painting on canvas.
Scarlett demonstrated her ceramic skills that afternoon as well...

Tiffany Yates held down her mother's art studio and demonstrated her clay hand building skills.

There was a Wood Turning Demo in the garden during the afternoon.

Here's a sequence of the mural I initiated that weekend on the LibertyTown facade. Thanks to Hsi Mei Yates for her help in preparing the composition.If interested in supporting LibertyTown Arts Workshop, become a supporting member and get involved: Click Here and select "Membership".

Street Art Workshops: April 2008

April's Street Art Workshops were an adventure. My students worked very hard to bring their pieces to life over the three two-hour sessions. Below are some pics of of their work. Good job guys! Tristan had a stack of personal sketches to choose from, but he used his favorite drawings to implement his two final pieces (above).Robert worked on a set of his most sophisticated stencil sets to date. The results were quite good (below):Conor's 24"x48" piece was inspired by an Elliot Smith album cover. He generated a set of 3 stencils to pull this off...

Knick took no time getting down to business. By the second session, he turned a robot doodle into a 20" wide stencil design. (above) Step #1 Draw...

Step #2 (carefully) Cut

Step #3 Spray...

The finished piece.

For more information about PONSHOP classes, view the current PONSHOP Class Schedule.

Sketchbook Workshop with Panta Rhei Project

April 19th, 2008 was a refreshing morning since it included a sketchbook workshop through The Panta Rhei Project.
After a brief presentation of my sketchbook endeavors over the past 15 years, I took several of Fredericksburg's motivated teens around town for some drawing exercises. My instruction encouraged participants to treat the sketchbook as a tool by which they ask questions about their environment. Drawing becomes an interrogative and exploratory exercise rather than a means to a "finished" picture. Below are some samples of the student's work. This workshop was done as a collaboration with The Panta Rhei Project. To learn more about Panta Rhei and view their upcoming calendar of art workshops, Click Here.

"Skate To Create": March 2008

Spring Break ushered in a new group of students in March eager to draw, cut, and spray paint. Below are some photos of my "Skate to Create" students from last month. They've all worked well together, stretched their creative muscles and, most importantly, had fun. Enjoy...

David merged his two favorite past times: Music and Skating...Josie's design took the classic Skull and Crossbones to whole new level.

Drew used red and black patterns for his "Star" logo deck.

Simon's deck graphic was part inspired by heavy metal music and old school Powell graphics.

Our studio offers classes for children and adults every month. For a current PONSHOP class schedule, click here.

"Destinations: Places Traveled, Placed Dreamed" - Art First Gallery 2008

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

Skate To Create: Winter 2008

The New Year was ushered in with three new "Skate To Create" workshop students.
Below are some pics of the student work:

Conor drew his inspiration from the "concrete jungle"- juxtaposing city skyline with a jungle landscape.

Tyler brought his own character "Mohawk Man" to life for his deck graphic.

Don't let her smile fool you - Winnie was all about skulls and flames for her design.

As always, these PONSHOP students worked rigorously throughout the 3 two hour session classes and I can only hope that they are as proud of their work as I am. For more information about PONSHOP classes, click here.

March 2008 Exhibit Announcement

I am excited to announce my upcoming show with fellow Art First member Carol Iglesias. "Destinations: Places Traveled, Places Dreamed" will feature new work which is inspired by sites both visited and imagined.

Carol Iglesias’s paintings are comprised of scenes from various Italian hillside towns throughout Tuscany that she had visited last October. Her travel itinerary included fifteen days of “plein air” (outdoor) painting and sketching in scenic towns like Volterra, San Gimignano, San Casciano, as well as Florence. The locations alone pushed her artistic skill while providing an abundance of inspiration at the same time. The result is a cohesive set of compositions, executed in pastel, which resonate with color, texture, and life.

My work references historic art and architecture yet is executed in a contemporary style. My latest mixed media compositions explore abstract architectural spaces where cityscapes and structures are constructed from scraps of magazines, acrylic paint, stencils and ink. My recent series of paintings experiments with figurative forms and their placement in a surreal and imaginary landscape.

When: March 5th-30th 2008 Opening Party on Friday March 7th 6-9pm
Where: Art First Gallery 824 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia USA

January 2008: Works In Progess

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:

PONSHOP visits Fredericksburg Academy

November 16th, 2007. Scarlett Suhy-Pons paid a visit to the art classes of Fredericksburg Academy where she gave a presentation to fourth and fifth grade students about her experience as a ceramic artist. Her talk focused on her interest in the history of pottery and how the art of making pots transcends geographic and cultural boundaries throughout history. Scarlett seeks her inspiration by studying the forms and methods used around the globe.

Historic precedent: Jamon Pottery circa. 10,000 BC

Native American Bowl, 1979
Students then initiated a clay project where they made their own snowflake designs.
October 27th, 2007. Gabriel Pons gave a lecture to students about how his love of skateboarding and art have influenced his career as an artist. He shared with students a selection of his custom painted skateboards as well as his paintings on canvas and spoke about the process he undertakes when developing one of his signature skateboard designs.Skateboarding magazines and deck graphics, album cover artwork, and

comic books fueled his love for drawing and painting.

Fredericksburg Academy Art Instructor Mirinda Reynolds shows students how Pons's compositions are made by layering both found images and paint on canvas.

Students had the opportunity to get creative and develop their own skateboard graphic.

Special thanks to Mirinda Reynolds of Fredericksburg Academy for organizing the monthly "LibertyTown Visiting Artists Program." Her initiative to further integrate local artists with the community benefits both students and the artists. Thanks to all the participating faculty and aides for making these presentations so worthwhile.

PONSHOP Class: Street Art (October 2007)

Rob and Tristan are PONSHOP veterans and we've been through a lot together at my studio. Below are some pics of their most recent workshop. Instead of doing spray paint on wood boards - they opted for a more "public" and personal canvas. Good Work guys.

Tristan adorns a black tee with paint markers.Robert cuts out his stencil layers.
1) Lay down stencil 2) Mask with paper 3) Hit it with paint Tristan and his "Fat Chick" graphicRobert finishes his "Street Can" Tee

For more about PONSHOP Workshops, click here

"Present Tense" Show: Opening Night

October 8th, 2007: Opening Night for the "Present Tense" show that Scarlett, Rob Landeck, and I put together at Bistro Bethem (309 William Street). Thanks go out to all of those who came out to support the local art scene in Fredericksburg, and honestly you couldn't go wrong: with temperatures in the 90s and a Monday holiday, it felt more like a Friday night in July.

DJ Bredren on the wheels of steel spinning the rockers....

Scarlett and I feeling relieved that the show is finally up.

Below is a cross-section of the work that is on display for the "Present Tense" show at Bistro Bethem. The exhibit runs until December 8th, 2007.
If interested in purchasing or viewing more, hit us up with an email.

Scarlett: spons@scarlettwares.com, Rob: robartist@earthlink.net, Gabe: gpons@ponshopstudio.com

"Rose Window I" by Scarlett Suhy-Pons, Ceramic Wall Hanging with Red Bronze Glaze (sold)

"Wind Bowl" by Scarlett Suhy Pons, Ceramic with Sea Green Glaze $180

"Rose Window II" by Scarlett Suhy-Pons, Ceramic Wall Hanging with Antigua Yellow Glaze (sold)

"Rose Window III" by Scarlett Suhy-Pons, Ceramic Wall Hanging with Satin White Glaze $85
"Ode to the Stratocaster I" by Rob Landeck, Oil and Collage on Canvas 30"x40" $750
"Play It Low" by Rob Landeck, Mixed Media on Canvas, 12"x12" $125
"Devil Drummer" by Rob Landeck, Mixed Media on Canvas, 12"x12" $125
"Jammin' on Julia" by Rob Landeck, Mixed Media on Canvas, 16"x24" $225

MONO Longboard Series by Gabriel Pons, Spray Paint on Plywood $120 each

"Standing Between Sand and Sea" by Gabriel Pons, Mixed Media on Canvas (sold)
"The Last Pharaoh" by Gabriel Pons, Mixed Media on Canvas $750

"New Hieroglyph #1" by Gabriel Pons, Mixed Media on Canvas $400

October Art Show Announced....

"Present Tense" Art Exhibit at Bistro BethemScarlett and I will join fellow LibertyTown Artist Rob Landeck for an art show at one of the city’s finest restaurants. Present Tense will feature paintings on wood and canvas by Rob and I. Scarlett will adorn the room with her latest hanging pieces, table settings, and lanterns. Their friend DJ Bredren will be spinning reggae music at the opening party so come join the fun!

When: October 8^th – December 8^th Opening Party on Monday, Oct. 8^th 6-9pm
Where: Bistro Bethem, 309 William Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia

August Street Art Workshop

It has been a long and hot summer. While some kids sought refuge in their air-conditioned living rooms playing the latest X-Box games, these guys battled the 90+ heat and got creative with spray paint. August's Street Art Workshop was a series of three 2-hour sessions where students practiced the fundamentals of the spray can...
Tristan laid down a background pattern before carving out his graffiti lettering.

Robert had an idea to blow-up one of his anime-inspired drawings and apply it to his spray painted background.

Max took his first stab at using spray paint, practicing outlines and fills to create his own cartoon-like character.

Thanks to all the students and parents for a fun summer workshop. For more information about PONSHOP Art Classes and a current class schedule, click here.

Works in Progress: August 2007

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: