Fall 2014: PONSHOP Academy

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October

kicked off our pilot PONSHOP Academy Program.  We worked with students over the course of six weeks to explore mixed media (collage and painting), ceramics, and sculpture.  Students were encouraged to push their boundaries in terms of their creative skills and willingness to work with new materials.  Below are some photos from the workshops taught by Gabriel Pons (The Collage Bridge Project), Scarlett Pons (Ceramic Pockets and Masks), and Leslie Brier (Wire and Nylon Sculpture).  Good work students!

PONSHOP Academy will be initiating again in January of 2015.  Click Here for our current class schedule and registration form.

"Facades" Art Exhibit Announced

Gabriel Pons will be premiering his latest work in March at PONSHOP Studio and Gallery. Titled Facades, this mixed media series on custom-shaped wood panels are evocative of architectural forms that have been pervasive in his work throughout the years.  Incorporating paper collage, acrylic paint and spray paint, Pons reflects upon his experiences living in New York City as well as traveling throughout Europe. His work combines the formal sensibility of architectural structures with spontaneous and gestural painterly actions emulative of what he has observed in city streets, layering found imagery, text, and handwritten prose.  “The city has a way of looking back at you sometimes and speaking to you – that’s the inspiration for this current series”, Pons remarked.

Join us March 7 from 6-10pm for the opening reception of Facades to view Pons’ latest mixed media pieces. In addition, visit PONSHOP to see new ceramic work from Scarlett Suhy-Pons, jewelry from Elaine B., Elisa Shere and many others as well as fine art from contributing regional artists.

Opening Reception: Friday, March 7 (6-10pm)

Exhibition Dates: March 7-28 2014

Student Work 2013: Kids Collage and Mixed Media

Do not believe the misconception that if you cannot draw, then you are not artistic! In three 1.5 hour classes, students were introduced to various techniques, including collage, stenciling, ink, and more. From developing beginning ideas to executing mixed media artwork, instructor Gabriel Pons, guided students in strengthening the connection between the creative mind and hand. Students completed this course with a finished piece on canvas.

Come join us at the PONSHOP with your ideas and we will supply all materials and instruction. Click Here to view our current class schedule.  For further questions, contact PONSHOP.

Student Work 2013: Intro to Street Art

Students honed their stenciling and spray-painting skills in this series of three 1.5 hour workshops. Instructor Gabriel Pons lead the class in developing their designs, cutting paper stencils, and perfecting their spray-painting.  Working on various media, including wood panels and vinyl records, students leave the course with a work of art and the knowledge to continue making on their own.  Below is a selection of photos from our 2013 series of "Intro to Street Art" classes:

Want to be introduced to the street art? Come join us at PONSHOP with your ideas and we will supply all materials, instruction, and history of street art.  Click Here to view our current class schedule.  For further questions, contact PONSHOP.

Adult Collage and Mixed Media 2013

There is a misconception that if you cannot draw well, then you are not artistic. In three 1.5 hour classes, adult students of all skill levels sharpened their skills in collage, stenciling, acrylic painting, and more. Instructor Gabriel Pons lead students from developing beginning ideas to executing mixed media artwork. Pulling imagery from magazines and cutting stencils are few of the techniques used in this class to create with. Students leave this class with a finished piece on canvas.

Want to expand upon your art-making skills or simply have fun creating something new? Click Here to view our current class schedule.  For further questions, contact PONSHOP.

Student Work 2013: Skate to Create

In this series of three 1.5 hour workshops, students of all skill levels designed and painted their own skateboard deck using stencil and spray paint techniques.  Instructor Gabriel Pons guided them from initial brainstorming through developing their illustrations into a layered stencil design.  After refining their designs, students chose their color palette, cut their stencils, and spray-painted their own boards.  Below is a selection of photos from 2013's Skate to Create workshops.

You leave this class, Skate to Create, with a one-of-a-kind art deck of your own design and the knowledge to make many more! To create a custom skateboard, bring your ideas and PONSHOP will supply all materials and stenciling/spray painting instruction. Click Here to view our current class schedule.  For further questions, contact the PONSHOP.

Stiched, Altered, and Plush Show: Opening Night

Friday, March 1 2013: PONSHOP hosted the opening reception of Stitched, Altered, and Plush. The evening was a great success, featuring quirky creations by local artists Ashleigh Burbidge and Leslie Brier. Check out our photos from the evening below. Stitched, Altered, and Plush runs through March 31.

Tailor Made 2: Opening Reception

August 3rd was the opening reception for "Tailor-Made 2" featuring the T-shirt designs of PONSHOP, Icy Grape Incident, Nightmare Inc. and Somaphony. The opening night included music by DJ Climaxx on the turntables in our garden space as well as a raffle of Icy Grape Incident t-shirts.  Thanks to all our "First Friday" fans for heading out for the evening.  Below are pics from the opening (and the ever-so-popular after party).  "Tailor-Made 2" runs through the September 2.

Student Work: Intro to Street Art, July 2012

"Intro to Street Art" has been one of the most popular workshops this summer.  In three 1.5-hour sessions, students were given instruction on how to design and cut their own paper stencils which were then sprayed onto a 24"x24" masonite board.  Congratulations on a job well done!

Student Work: Recycled Robot Workshop, July 2012

Step aside R2D2, there is a new robot in town... or shall we say robots! Instructed by Leslie Brier, students went out of this world when they came up with these awesome designs creating unique robots using a variety of recycled materials. Check out these mechanically inspired works of art in the gallery below. Want to make your own? Click here to view our class schedule.

"Tailor Made 2: T-Shirt Showcase" Announcement

PONSHOP will be bringing back the much anticipated T-Shirt Showcase as “Tailor-Made 2” this August with new designs and artists.  The opening reception will be held during “First Friday” August 3. This exhibition will feature screen-printed shirt designs from PONSHOP, Nightmare Inc., Icy Grape Incident Clothing and Somaphony. This is a unique opportunity to see the original graphics adorning the walls of the gallery.

PONSHOP offers house brand art tees screen-printed with signature graphics derived from the original paintings of owner, Gabriel Pons. They will be premiering a handful of new t-shirt designs for men and women.

Nightmare Inc. Apparel is a clothing company based in Fredericksburg and established in 2008 by Massaponax High School graduate, Ryan Payne. With strong ties to horror and bedtime terrors, you'll be daydreaming of ways to get this brand.

Icy Grape Incident Clothing brings original graffiti inspired artworks to high quality t-shirts. Owner, Tony Sementelli joined a few of his fellow local artists 2 years ago on a journey to launch their own clothing line and never looked back.

Somaphony joins us from Washington, D.C. with artist Nate Lewis as the leading contributor. Inspired by the Greek words “Soma” and “Phony”, meaning body and sound, his designs fuse human anatomy and musical instruments as wearable art.

Opening Reception:  Friday August 3, 6-10pm

Exhibition Dates: August 3 - September 2, 2012

Student Work: Children's Drawing, June 2012

Starting with simple drawing techniques, these students created works to visually express themselves using pencils, markers and other media.  Instructor Gabriel Pons gave the students exercises in Map-making, Gesture Sketching, and light and shadow study.  In their last session,  students drew complete life sized self-portraits! These children showed incredible patience and ability throughout the workshop.  Congratulations!

For a current PONSHOP Class Schedule, Click Here.

Student Work: Adult Stencil & Mixed Media, June 2012

Our students from June's Adult Stencil & Mixed Media have completed their masterpieces. Check out what can be done by creatively combining original stencils, spray paint and the art of collage. Feeling inspired? View our class schedule to find out more.

Student Work: Children's Clay, June 2012

Learn the art of hand-building in our Children's Clay Classes. After only a few sessions with Scarlett Pons, these children were able to create their very own ceramic pieces and finish them with an under-glaze. Check out our class schedule and sign up now to reserve your seat!

"July Summer Exhibition" Announcement

PONSHOP celebrates summer by opening their outdoor “garden space” to the public. This “First Friday” of July from 6-10pm will be the kick-off of the Summer Exhibition.  July’s show will include the latest paintings and skateboard designs by Gabriel Pons as well as recent ceramics work by Scarlett Pons.  Featured artists for the month include painters Julie Maida, Nicholas Candela, and Jeremy Gann as well as photographs by Adam DeSio and Stephen Graham. The gallery also features fresh work from local jewelers Leslie Brier, Terresa Buelow, Lisa Latendress, Jasmine, Susan McLay and more.

PONSHOP will open their backyard as an event space with DJ Max spinning some artfully choreographed tracks throughout the evening.  There will also be a live painting demonstration by Gabriel Pons in the garden.

July also ushers in a new series of art classes ranging from ceramics and painting to architectural drawing, photography, recycled crafts and jewelry design to name a view.  For a current class schedule, visit the PONSHOP online.

Opening Reception:  Friday, July 6, 6-10pm

Exhibition Dates: July 6-29, 2012

"April Group Show" Announcement

For the month of April, PONSHOP Studio and Gallery will be featuring the work of a select collection of gallery artists.  The opening reception will be held on “First Friday” April 6, from 6-9pm.

PONSHOP’s gallery will be displaying the latest work of owners, Scarlett and Gabriel Pons. Also included in this month’s exhibition are signature paintings by Joshua Barber, Nicholas Candela, and Jeremy Gann. Local photographers, Adam Desio and Stephen Graham complement the show with their images. And once more, Kenny Brown, Chance Kenyon, Grady Spades, Mike Tschirn and Elstabo adorn the walls with their New Brow inspired works.

Opening Reception:  Friday, April 6, 6-9pm

Exhibition Dates: April 6^th – 29^th, 2012

Spring has Sprung with New Artwork at the PONSHOP!

The sun is shinning, the flowers are blooming and there is new art at the PONSHOP! What's not to love? With ceramic letter pendants by Scarlett Pons, fabric floral hair accessories by Francoise Doyle, bracelets made from bullet casings by Jeff Gulick and much, much more, spring couldn't get any better than this! On your stroll down the streets of Fredericksburg be sure to stop by to check out the latest work from all of our gallery artists.

Student Work: Couples Clay and Private Classes

Here at the PONSHOP we offer innovative ways to bring creativity into your lives. In February, we brought love and creation together in our new couples clay workshop. After just three hours and a lot of footsie, these couples made their very own kissing bowls! We are also happy to work with you to bring your own ideas to life in private classes. One of our students wanted to cut her own designs into clay to create a hollow ceramic sphere and... We helped make it happen!

Whatever your level, whatever your desire, if you have an interest for art come take a class!  Check out our class schedule for more details.

Mixing the Media Class February 2012

February 2012 kicked off another fun session of Mixing the Media. In three 1.5 hour sessions students explored collage and acrylic painting to create their own mixed media scenes on canvas. Below are some pics of the student work. Congrats guys!

For more information about PONSHOP classes click here.

PONSHOP Tutorials: Working With Wheat Paste

As response to the questions brought up in our "Intro to Street Art", "Mixing the Media" and "Adult Mixed Media" classes - we've put together this two-part tutorial on how to make and apply wheat paste when doing paper posters and collage:

httpv://youtu.be/lAJGeai0Z-g

Part 1:  Wheat Paste recipe and cooking

1 part flour to 4 parts water (This demonstration uses 1cup of white flour with 4 cups of water)

In a small pot, whisk together flour and water with wire wisk.

Bring mixture to a slow boil (med-high heat for 5-8 minutes) until mixture has a gluey gravy-like consistency.

Remove from heat - you can add 1/4 cup of sugar or white glue to make the mixture even more tenacious (sticky)

Wheat Paste can be refrigerated to stay "fresh" longer.  Consistency may change (it will get thinner), however, the paste still works.  Be mindful that wheat paste will spoil in time especially if kept at or above room temperature.

httpv://youtu.be/CYBpB0iMbLU

Part 2: Applying Wheat Paste with paper posters

Use a wide brush to apply the paste to the intended surface or substrate.  Apply a thin layer the approximate area of the poster.

Apply a thin layer of wheat paste to the back of the paper poster.

Press center of the poster against the wall and begin brushing the poster from the center out to the edges with your brush.

When the paste is still wet (and the paper is still malleable) you can peel and reposition if  the paper has trapped too much air)

Finally brush a thin layer over the entire poster and especially the edges.