"The Art of Recovery" Opening Reception: May 4, 2012

"Recovering" by Michael Diehm, Mixed Media on Canvas

The opening reception for "The Art of Recovery" was a huge success this first Friday of May.  This show provides a forum for artists living with mental illness to gain confidence in their abilities, address misconceptions surrounding mental illness, and experience community support. Using Art Therapy to improve and enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, we send a special thanks to the artists for sharing their process of recovery with us. And of course, thank you to the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) and all of you who came out to show your support for the opening. "The Art of Recovery" will continue through the 27th of May.

Exhibiting artists include:

Lisa Brintley, Howard Brown, Jeremy Cabrera, Jimmy Clark, Helen Conley, Gloria Cooke, Hiter Davis IV, Michael Diehm, Scott Fowler, James Gibson, Jr., Scott Haugh, Beth Jarvis, Mark Jones, Margi Mallory, Anthony McKenny, James Miller, Heidi Minor, Buddy Morgan, Tom Page, Sandy Alexandra Pappas, Craig Patak, Annette Pride, David Raines, Tracy Ringquist, RR, Oren Rose, Darah Saunders, Kim Stanley, Page Stoner, Gayle M. Tompkins, T.J.W., Connie Wells, Charles Wertime, Richard West, Lloyd Wilson, Gary Yaw, Suzette Young, Doreen Zaccagnino

Thoughtful and Unique Gifts: Just like your Mother!

Looking for something totally unique for your Mother? Find it here at the PONSHOP gallery! Let her express her creativity in one of our jewelry, photography, painting or ceramic classes. Or browse our collection of thoughtfully selected offerings, all hand-made in the USA. We have great gifts she'll love for under $50.

"ReUsed/ReMixed" Painted Vinyl Album Workshop

Sunday April 29 kicked off the "ReUsed/ReMixed" Painted Vinyl Album Workshop at the G40 event space in Richmond, Virginia.  We had a great turnout of students who enthusiastically took on the challenge of creating their own design on an old 12" vinyl record.  PONSHOP co-owner, Gabriel Pons, walked the students from brainstorming ideas to applying their designs on the records using acrylic paint, paint pens, or spray paint and stencils.  Special thanks to Art Whino and RVA Magazine for organizing this year's G40 Summit and congratulations to all the people that came out to participate in this art workshop - good work!

March 2012 Student Work: Skate to Create and Adult Mixed Media

Check out the work of our "Skate to Create" and "Adult Mixed Media" students from March. Both classes use the art of stencil making and various spray painting techniques to construct a finalized piece in just three 1.5-hour sessions. We still have room in our May workshops. Click here to view our current class schedule and sign-up today!

2012 G40 part 3: Making of "Hip-Hop Meditation Station"

httpv://youtu.be/nVqCk5Lhh6w

Here's a behind the scenes look at the recent art installation by PONSHOP.  Thanks to all our collaborators on this project: Crystal and Kevin Rodrigue of Rodrigue Studios for their design/build consultation, Adriana Christesen, Jasmine Lee, Sidney Mullis and Janet Hahn for their research and studio support, Jeff Gulick for the on-site installation assistance and Christopher Stuart for video work.

Special Thanks to Art Whino and RVA Magazine for hosting the 2012 G40 event. G40 runs through May 5.

2012 The Sketchbook Project: Limited Edition

httpv://youtu.be/vhKHd0bj4WY

I am excited to have completed my submission for The Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Vol. 1.  Organized by the Art House Co-op, The Sketchbook Project is a collaborative collection of art books by thousands of artists throughout the world.  Once completed, the books are archived and displayed to the public at the Brooklyn Art Library.  Below is the sequence of pages from cover to cover.  The book is 32 pages and approximately 10″x7″ (open).

ReUsed/ReMixed Workshop Announced

Gabriel Pons will be teaching the ReUsed/ReMixed Painted Vinyl Album workshop this Sunday, April 29 from 1-3 pm at Art Whino's G40 event space (115 West Broad Street). This workshop is free and open to the public. 

Gabriel will guide students through brainstorming ideas as well as using a variety of media (spray paint, paint pens and acrylic paint) to achieve their creative vision on vinyl. 

Click here to view the event page on Facebook.

April Group Show Opening Reception: April 6, 2012

PONSHOP's latest First Friday opening reception was April's Group Show, held on Friday, April 6th.

The show featured work from Gabriel and Scarlett Pons, Stephen Graham, Joshua Barber, Nicholas Candela, Jeremy Gann, and Adam Desio. The PONSHOP gallery continued to display works from Jack Brown's tattooists Kenny Brown, Chance Kenyon, Grady Spades, Mike Tschirn and Fredericksburg local Elstabo.

Thanks to all participating artists and everyone who came out to support the show! Check out some pictures from the night below.

Eighth Annual "The Art of Recovery" Show Announced

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery is pleased to announce the Eighth Annual “The Art of Recovery” art show organized by The Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB). The opening reception will be held on "First Friday" May 4, 2012 from 5-9 p.m.

“The Art of Recovery” show will feature approximately 50 pieces representing several art mediums created by adults with mental illness. This annual art show is organized by members of Kenmore Club, a psychosocial rehabilitation program operated by RACSB. The exhibit coincides with National Mental Health Month and will be on display through May 27, 2012.

Founded in 1970, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) provides public mental health, intellectual disability, substance abuse, and prevention/early intervention services to the residents of the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford.Programs of RACSB include Kenmore Club, Rappahannock Adult Activities, Inc., Project LINK, Program for Teen Parents, Rappahannock Area Kids on the Block, DARE To Be You – Rappahannock Area, Second Step, Too Good for Drugs, and Healthy Families – Rappahannock Area. To learn more, visit www.racsb.state.va.us.

2012 G40 Opening Weekend: Part 2

Saturday April 7, 2012 marked the second evening of the G40 Summit opening.  There was an "Art Battle" event throughout the evening which pitted teams of artists against one another in a creative "duel to the death".  Well not quite, but all in all it was great fun.  I only had a chance to check out a fraction of the G40 venues and outdoor murals - but never fear we will be back in Richmond in the upcoming weekends to soak it all in.  Below are pics from the evening - enjoy!

2012 G40 Opening Weekend: Part 1

Friday April 6, 2012 was the opening night for the 2012 G40 Summit in Richmond, Virginia.  The G40 Summit includes over a dozen large-scale murals throughout the city as well as over 500 Low Brow artists from around the world.  Below are more pictures from Friday night.  Thanks again to Art Whino and RVA Magazine for bringing such a massive and inspirational event to Richmond.  Click Here for the G40 Calendar of Events.

PONSHOP 2012 G40 Installation: Hip-Hop Meditation Station

"Hip-Hop Meditation Station" ceramics, and mixed media panels, 72" diameter x 60" height suspended installation, $8,000 USD. On exhibit at the 2012 G40 Summit hosted by Art Whino.  This installation can be reconfigured to accommodate a variety of spaces, contact us to inquire about design variations.

Scarlett and I are excited to be participating in the 2012 G40 Summit in Richmond, Virginia.  Honestly, this has been the most ambitious project that we've collaborated on to date and we're proud to be exhibiting it in this month-long exhibition.  Below are some pictures showing the progress of creating the ceramic forms (a total of 166) as well as installing the piece in the space at 101 West Broad Street.

The installation, titled "Hip-Hop Meditation Station" is a visual chronicle of the Hip-Hop culture, charting each of the four elements of Hip-Hop (DJing, MCing, B-Boying and Graffiti Art) throughout the course of the time.  Each art panel charts the trajectory of Hip-Hop's progression by listing those who have impacted the movement through their involvement.  This chronology is by no means complete, but offers up a brief history lesson for younger generations on the birth of an American art form that went on to in influence the world.

The G40 Summit opens Friday April 6, 2012 and includes over 500 artists as well as several recent large-scale outdoor murals by international artists. The G40 Event runs through the month of April with a closing party on May 4,2012.  For more information, visit Art Whino.

Special Thanks to Art Whino and RVA Magazine for hosting the 2012 G40 event.  Also PONSHOP would like to thank our collaborators and student interns for their assistance throughout the past two months:  Crystal and Kevin Rodrigue of Rodrigue Studios for their design/build consultation, Adriana Christesen, Jasmine Lee, Sidney Mullis and Janet Hahn for their research and studio support, Jeff Gulick for the on-site installation assistance and Christopher Stuart for video work.

"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.

Commissioned Work: "Tulip Series" by Scarlett Pons

A special collection of Scarlett Pons' new "Tulip Series" can be found at Taste Oil Vinegar Spice. Located in the charming downtown of Culpeper, they offer fresh olive oils and organic spices from around the world which share nicely at the table in these beautiful ceramic dishes.

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.

2012 G40 Show Announced

PONSHOP is pleased to announce their participation in the third annual G40 Art Summit. This year's G40 will help to launch the newly formed arts district of Richmond, Virginia with a focus on the art of the mural. The summit will feature thirteen of the world's top muralists and over 500 participating Low Brow artists. The G40 is organized by Art Whino, a National Harbor, Maryland-based art gallery that promotes contemporary artists worldwide. With the collaboration of Richmond-based RVA Magazine, Art Whino will be launching their new quarterly publication "WHINO" at the upcoming G40. Visit Art Whino's website for more information on the G40 summit and its roster of artists.

World renowned muralist Gaia has already left his mark in Richmond.

"Indelible" Opening Reception: March 2, 2012

The opening reception of “Indelible” was a huge success. Thank you to all the participating artists and to those who came out to show their support.  Below are photos from this evening’s event. Participating artists include:  Kenny Brown, Kelley Drake, Chance Kenyon, Grady Spades, and Mike Tschirn, Elstabo, and Adam DeSio

The show will run through April 1, 2012.

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.