"I Believe in Mr. Grieves"

"Neptune's Daughter", mixed media on wood, 18"x14.5", SOLD

February, 2010. Scarlett heard this report that our music tastes are most acute and malleable up until we're 20 years old. If that's the case, then I'll be listening to the Pixies when I'm eighty years old. Th above painting was inspired by a Pixies song - the lyrics go: "...what's that floating in the water oh neptune's only daughter i believe in mr. grieves"

"Neptune's Daughter" is on exhibit this month at Art First Gallery (824 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA) as part of the themed "Portraits" show. Check out this all member exhibit. Opening Reception is Friday, February 5, from 6-9pm.

Gallery Hours: 11-7pm Mon-Thurs, 11-9pm Fri-Sat, 12-7pm Sunday

Big Holiday = Small Works

The Muse #4 (queen and conqueror), mixed media on paper, 10"x10" framed, $125

I'm pleased to share the latest small works paintings. They are on display in galleries around Fredericksburg, Virginia and our studio for the month of December. Enjoy!

The Muse #2 (illuminated ones), mixed media on paper, 10"x20" framed, $250

The Muse #5 (become the becoming), mixed media on paper, 10"x10" framed, $125

MONO Lion (mini), 16"x10" spray paint on wood, $125

The New Hieroglyph (Mini), mixed media on wood, 5.5"x10", SOLD

The Lost City #1(Mini), mixed media on wood, 5.5"x10", $45

Hush #2 (Mini), mixed media on wood, 5.5"x10", $45

Grasshopper #1 (Mini), mixed media on wood, 5.5"x10", $60

The Muse #3 (in love with love), mixed media on paper, 10"x20" framed, $250

Recent Work: August 2009

"Hive Mentality" , Mixed Media on Wood, 16"x20" sold

Summer came and went and I'm still trying to knock off things on my list from May. Here's a painting that has been "simmering" around my studio over the past months and as soon as I finish it, photograph it, and varnish it - the thing's sold....I wish I could get more paintings to turnaround like that...

August also means that we take a trip to Berryville, Virginia to reunite with our family of friends from Virginia Tech's Architecture program (class of '97 baby!). I pitched in on this collaborative piece below. Can you find the golden mean? This canvas graces the rec room of our good friends Micki and Will who make some pretty beautiful things themselves - click here to visit their site.

Collaborative Canvas 2008-2009, Mixed Media on six canvases, approx 74"x48" Collection of the Martindale Family.

Work In Progress

mixed media work in progress - August 14, 2009 (Detail) - click to enlarge

"Mixing the Media": June 2009

June 2009: Grace participated in the "Mixing The Media" workshop and, within 3 sessions, created some great mixed media pieces. In this class, students are encouraged to create a "landscape" of imagery with found images and text. The student then interacts with the collage using painting and drawing. Below are some images from the final class. Good Job Grace! (click images to enlarge)

Grace used magazine clippings, acrylic paint, and stencils to construct her piece.

She also did a stencil piece on wood with her favorite song lyrics written in the background.

Her Stencil was derived from a series of drawing exercises we did during the first class.

Click Here for a complete PONSHOP class schedule.

The Lost City #1 - Behind the Scenes

"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!

Private Student Sessions: Mixed Media

I had the pleasure of working with David again - this time for a mixed media workshop. His patience and attention to detail allowed him to layer up this composition on canvas. Check the progress and final pics below. Congratulations David!

David "built up" his painting into a landscape, with a clear delineation between land and sky. He used magazine cut outs to show buildings and figures in space. Acrylic paint and spray paint with stencils were used as well.

Final Painting (click to enlarge)

Family Portrait with the artist...

Click Here for a complete PONSHOP class schedule.

February 2009: New Work

"...Until the End of the World", Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x20" $500

"Masks of Now", Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x20" $500

February, 2009: I've just finished two paintings that are on exhibit for the month of February at Art First Gallery in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The group show is titled "Transformations" and features new work from participating artists based around this theme.

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

PONSHOP: Commissioned Painting

We Will Walk This Path Together (2007) 15.5"x15.5" Collage, Acrylic, Spray Paint on Paper

I've had the pleasure of meeting a great couple that happen to be big fans of both my work and Scarlett's ceramics. Needless to say, one thing led to another and I was commissioned to make a collage/mixed media piece for the wife to give to the husband on their second anniversary in September.
The piece, titled "We Will Walk This Path Together" incorporates a variety of images that the wife had passed on to me to include in the composition. Maps, song lyrics, and photos taken on their first hike together were put through the PONSHOP spin cycle to cook up a new imagery that evokes intimacy in the past, present, and future that this young couple will share for the rest of their lives.

For inquiries into commissioned paintings, contact me at: gpons@ponshopstudio.com.

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

Below 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.

Student Art Exhibit: Jan 5th-31st 2007

Several students of the PONSHOP are exhibiting their work in January at the LibertyTown Annual Student Art Show. Student artisits of the PONSHOP include: Tommy Cox, Max Harvey, Allison and CJ Marr, as well as Robert and Tristan Thompson.
This annual exhibit features all student work from artists who hold classes/workshops in their studios. We'd like to thank all of those that continue to get involved in the art community here in Fredericksburg. For more information on the classes that the PONSHOP offers, click here.

Tommy Cox holdin' it down on a Friday night. His "A-GRR" skateboard is the on the far left.

"The Lady and The Tiger" Commissioned Painting

"Lady and The Tiger", acrylic and collage on canvas 30"x30"x2""The Lady and The Tiger" Detail

I've recently completed a painting titled "The Lady and The Tiger". This piece was a commission for two of our best friends living in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"The Lady and The Tiger" (Detail)"The Lady and The Tiger" (Detail)

Below are some images of the generative studies for the final painting as well as a 12"x12" canvas study I did of the tiger.

The first pencil sketch: September 2006

"Tiger Study (Mini)" was a real breakthrough for me in terms how I typically work. While completing the background for "The Lady and The Tiger" I worked on full-size sketches of the figures. I took one of the pencil sketches of the tiger and pasted it onto the 12"x12" canvas. Something about seperating the sketch from the main painting allowed me to paint with more freedom. I was able to experiment on the mini and then take it to the larger painting. "Tiger Study (Mini)" now resides in the home of a family friend.

Tiger Study "Mini", acrylic and collage on canvas 12"x12" x2" (sold)Tiger Study "Mini", Oblique Detail

For those interested in the content of the paintings, they were inspired by the short story "The Lady, or the Tiger?" by Frank R. Stockton. Although instead of an allegory focused on our human nature and the decisions we face, I chose to show both the princess and the beast simultaneously. I was interested in portraying a pensive and statuesque figure with the tiger in the background acting as both companion and guardian.