Through an Architect's Eyes: July 2010

In "Through an Architect's Eyes", we explored Downtown Fredericksburg's Structures while talking about the fundamentals of architectural design. My student, Gretchen, kept a sketchbook throughout the workshop and below are some drawings she worked on.

We studied the facade of a local church.

My student drew a section through one of the floors of the new parking structure.


We also had some fun sketching the skyline of Fredericksburg.

PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as Ceramics and Drawing for adults. Our classes run throughout the summer and through the fall. For a current class schedule, Click Here.

Skate to Create: April 2010

Spring ushered in another motivated crop of students for the PONSHOP Skate to Create class. Students Savant and Megan got creative, worked hard, and most of all had fun during this workshop. Below are some pics from April's class. Good work ladies...

After a debriefing on the history of skateboard graphics as well as showing students some examples, students got right to work sketching up their designs.

From sketches, we "translate" their designs into stencils, so that they can articulate (and hopefully repeat) their graphic.

Savant cut up this intricate pattern with a drippy form for her deck.

Megan's skate deck mixed up several layers of tiger stripes for a 3-D effect.

We continue to teach classes to both children and adults in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Skateboard Design, Architecture and more. For a current PONSHOP class schedule , Click Here.

PONSHOP Summer Class Schedule on Google Calendar

We will be offering classes for children and adults in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Graphics throughout the summer. For a detailed class description and registration form, Click Here
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Mixed Media Class: Winter 2010

February 2010: Even the countless inches of snow didn't stop some dedicated students from taking a group lesson with PONSHOP last month. I met with students for an hour every week for a Mixed Media Workshop that included collage, painting, stencils, and drawing with markers. Below are some snapshots throughout our sessions.
Nice work kids!

Barrett (8yrs) laid down a thick background of acrylic paint before adding a U.F.O stencil and some collage.

Corbin (8 yrs) drew some fantastic creatures over her painting and collage.

Harrison (8yrs) explored writing his name a variety of ways before adding magazine cut outs and drawings.

There's nothing more satisfying than to see my students hard at work. Well Done!

Scarlett and I are excited to take on new students for this Spring at our new location. For a current listing of PONSHOP classes, Click Here.

Mural Workshop: July 2009

July 13-17, 2009: The PONSHOP Student Mural Workshop was a great success. For one week, students had a chance to conceive and execute their ideas on a 12-foot by 8-foot canvas. Below is the (2 part) video chronicle of that week as well as some photos. Congratulations to all the students ( Ben, David, Finn, Johnny, and Jeff) as well as our photographer/videographers Allison and Zeph.



Part One:







Part Two:

From the PONSHOP class listing: "The mural is an effective way of bringing people together to create artwork that is intended for the public realm. This workshop will encourage students to work as a team to conceive and execute a large-scale mural. Imagination, self-expression, and cooperation are the keys to achieving this goal. Students will have access to explore a variety of media (acrylic paint, spray paint, stencils and collage) to adorn their collective wall."

For a current PONSHOP Class Schedule, Click Here

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.

Skate to Create: June 2009

June, 2009. the summer kicked of well with my "Skate to Create" students bringing all their excitement and enthusiasm towards designing and painting their own skateboards. Below are more pics of their work. Nice job girls! now get riding! (click images to enlarge).

Amanda used two stencils for her lettering treatment.

The students took an opportunity during their final session to practice their stencil painting on their griptape.

Sarah's design was inspired by the beach, air balloons, and of course, a love for cats...

For a current PONSHOP Class Schedule, click here.

Intro to Street Art: May 2009

Holly brought a lot to the table for her Intro to Street Art class: she loved to draw and doodle, had a good sense of humor, and was willing to try new things - specifically cutting stencils and using spray paint. Below are some snapshots from her classes. Good Job!

After doing some thumbnail sketches on paper, we took it to spraypaint and mocked up the background.

Holly made a large 48"x24" stencil of her name and applied it to the board.

She had the luxury of being able to paint her piece twice: the second time around she hit it with markers and sprayed the stencil again with highlights and shadows.

(Finger Painted)

Intro to Street Art: April 2009

Painting, Spray Painting, Drawing and Cutting - when my students have an idea, I help them use anything it takes to achieve their vision. David's private workshop was no exception. In his series of classes, he had an opportunity to learn some of the fundamentals of making a mixed media piece. Nice Job David! See below for the progress pics....

Students are provided a 48"x24" masonite board that they then prime and begin painting.David used a variety of spray paints to give his background more depth and interest.He used an enlarged copy of his robot sketch for the foreground figure.

For a Current Schedule of all PONSHOP classes, Click Here.

Adult Drawing: September 2008

Full Scale Self Portrait: Krissy (left) Gabe (right)

September ushered in a refreshing Adult Drawing Workshop. My student, Krissy, is a high school Junior whose interest in drawing and painting brought her to take this workshop. This workshop encourages students to make a habit out of drawing by keeping a sketchbook and practicing exercises to "strengthen" the students way of seeing and drawing. Below are some examples:

Need a model to draw? draw your hands...(above)Marker sketches of statues in still life. (click to enlarge)

For a current PONSHOP class schedule click here.

Skate to Create: September 2008

Jedi had one of the most ambitious skateboard designs for a ten year-old. He worked very hard and the results were really impressive. In fact, he continued to improvise and paint up until the end of the class. Nice Work!

The original pencil sketch (above) - kind of reminded me of "Killer Croc" from Spiderman...
Some process photos of the first stencil application (above).

For a current PONSHOP class schedule, click here.