Below are some snapshots from the August "Intro to Street Art" workshop. Grace paid homage to her favorite pet by making a stencil and spray paint composition. Throughout the three-session workshop she drew, painted, and sprayed until the piece was complete. (Click Images to Enlarge)
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 effect
Smithson holds his own and drops hammers all day
Kinda like the lineup from The Usual Suspects if Kevin Spacey wore more clothes.
July Art Workshops: Adult Drawing /Skate to Create
July was by far the fastest moving month to date. One minute, we're celebrating the fourth of July, and in the blink of an eye, we're re-hanging our studio in preparation for the August First Friday. I did have the pleasure of working with two of the most intelligent and hard-working students last month in my "Adult Drawing" and "Skate to Create" workshops. Below are some samples of their work:
Full scale self-portrait (Leah on the left, Gabe on the right)
Leah will be a senior in high school this year and to keep her drawing skills sharp for the upcoming year, she took the "Adult Drawing" workshop. We did a number of exercises including a full-scale self portrait (above) as well as classic sketch studies such as hand sketches and still life drawing. The major focus of this workshop is to encourage students to maintain a 'habit' of working in their sketchbooks. Creativity, like athletics, can only be sustained if it is exercised often and the sketchbook is the vehicle which allows one to continue to explore and hone their techniques.
Full scale self-portrait (detail)
Sketchbook exercise: hand poses
Studio Still Life: matryoshka dolls (above, below)
The "Skate to Create" workshop is the most popular among teens this year. I've seen a lot of great designs and met some great kids so far. July's workshop was no exception. Michael gave 110% the entire time and he managed to finish his work with some spare time for us to skate in front of the shop. Below is a sequence from his classes. He chose to use his nickname "Travis" for his deck graphic.
The "Skate to Create" workshop is the most popular among teens this year. I've seen a lot of great designs and met some great kids so far. July's workshop was no exception. Michael gave 110% the entire time and he managed to finish his work with some spare time for us to skate in front of the shop. Below is a sequence from his classes. He chose to use his nickname "Travis" for his deck graphic.
Stencil Sequence: (top to bottom: drawing, cutting, layers 1-3)
Applying the final layer of colors - gradient from red to brown.
One happy camper - the completed deck, ready to rip!
For a current schedule of classes offered at the PONSHOP, click here. I'll be offering another series of art workshops for children, teens, and adults through August and September.
One happy camper - the completed deck, ready to rip!For a current schedule of classes offered at the PONSHOP, click here. I'll be offering another series of art workshops for children, teens, and adults through August and September.
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: Intro to Street Art (June 2008)
The "Intro to Street Art" June workshop offered students a brief history lesson in graffiti and street art while allowing them to draw, write, spray and collage on their own 48"x24" panel.
Andrew made four stencils and several sketches to compose his piece.
Drew literally attacked the painting with an arsenal of stencils and markers. 
Simon found an opportunity to make an oversized poster for his band. 
July will come and go before you know it - so if you'd like to sign up for any of the PONSHOP Art Workshops, click here for a summer schedule.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.
June 2008
"The New Babylon #1", Mixed Media on Canvas, 40"x14" SOLD
It's been a good start the summer: School is out which means PONSHOP classes are in full effect (more student work pics soon to come).
I've been doing some commissioned work over the past month and I'm excited about the direction that the paintings have been going. "The New Babylon #1" is one of the recently completed pieces.
Scarlett and I participated in the King George Art Show this past week. One of the pieces submitted, "Leaving La Mancha" received an Honorable Mention and was sold. The show runs until Sunday, June 29th. Click Here for more details.
"Leaving La Mancha" (detail), Acrylic and Spray Paint on Canvas, SOLD PONSHOP on RedBubble.com
I've been hard at work putting up some of my art on RedBubble.com.
RedBubble is an online art gallery that allows me to sell my artwork as high-quality framed prints, greeting cards, posters, designer T-Shirts and more. My goal is to reach a larger (global) customer base that supports PONSHOP Art. Below is some crazy "widget" of my work. Click it to visit the PONSHOP storefront on RedBubble.com!
I recently received some products from RedBubble to test the integrity and packaging of the products, and I'm happy to say that I was really impressed with the quality of the work. I'll be uploading more paintings and T-shirt designs over the upcoming weeks....Until then, Peace....G
Artwork Included In University of Mary Washington Online Publication
Scarlett and I are pleased to announce that our work was recently included in The Zephyranthes - a multimedia arts journal published by the students at the University of Mary Washington.
To hyperlink to Scarlett's work, click here.
To hyperlink to Gabe's work, click here.
Wilmington, North Carolina
We celebrated the marriage of our good friends, Kasandra and Jay over the memorial day weekend. Their event was wonderful and brought together a number of close friends from our college days at Virginia Tech. Below are some pics from our tour:
Wedding Site: Orton Plantation, North Carolina
Congratulations to Kasandra and Jay
Blacksburg Crew 1992-today
Greenfield Skate Park, Wilmington, NC.
Jason strikes a pose at the park - A Shout Out to the boys at Doublewide Skate and Surf!
On the way back from North Carolina, we stopped in Portsmouth, Virginia to visit the White Family and more friends. Thom is my digital arch enemy, except we're bros.
J.D., Marissa, and Mike watch the kids play in the garden...
New PONSHOP T-Shirts are out....
Girl's Fitted Tees: Small, Medium, Large
Boy's Fitted Tees: Xtra Small, Small, Medium, Large, XL, and XXL
This design above is derived from my 2007 canvas paintings, "My Baby Wants To Rock N Roll." Below is a matrix of all the latest tees available. All shirts are professionally silk screened on American Apparel Tees.
Want some original artwork on a new summer tee? Stop by the PONSHOP and pick one up for $18. Also available at the finest skate shop in Fredericksburg, Fred Skates. (604 Caroline Street, Fred-burg, VA)
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...
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.
April 20th 2008: 2 Years of PONSHOP online
It has been two years since the PONSHOP has been online. Since then, we've had a great response from the local and online community. Visitors are able to view my portfolio of paintings, drawings, and video as well as view our current class schedule and upcoming events.
Admittedly, two years is comparable to twenty on the internet and it is time to give the site a renovation with new content and features. I'll be working closely with our friend Susan Frantz at Emergent Design Ideas to bring the site closer to representing the excitement and activity that is currently at the studio and in our city of Fredericksburg.
"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
Guatemala 2008
We spent a week in Guatemala this February to celebrate the marriage of Scarlett's sister, Grissell, to her (now husband) Didier. From the minute that we landed in Guatemala City, the vacation began - Didier's family was super accommodating and friendly and they took us to some of the most beautiful places that their country offers. Below are some brief snapshots from our travels. Thanks to the newlywed couple, their family and friends for such a memorable trip.
The Bride and Groom days before the wedding
La Familia: Alegria, Suhy, and Pons families.
Suhy Sisters
Lake Atitlan
"Playa" means Beach - not slang for "Player"....
La Policia - These guys were armed like Robocop
Tuk Tuk - 3 wheeled moto-ride...
Pollo Campero has awesome chicken....
Women in Santiago Atitlan
Diego wants to run where the streets have no name...
Los Ninos
Travelers in Antigua need a map at all times...
Travelers in Antigua need a map at all times...
The Arch in Antigua, Guatemala
The Main Square in Antigua
Antigua has a lot of Churches - most in ruins, but still very interesting.
Basic rules for any public establishment....
This poor guy had to fish out one of Diego's toys that were flung into the fountain - gracias amigo! 
No these kids aren't my cousins - Young Rippers in Antigua...viva la tabla!
All dogs in this country were pretty lazy...
Every Sunday during Lent there is a citywide religious procession in Antigua.
The night before the wedding things got hectic - all the guests had arrived and the party started.
Friday Night Lights - Diego made new friends...
Minutes before the wedding, the ladies took a victory lap around Antigua with Diego.
Los muchos machos muchachos
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:
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.