Independence: Skateboarding's Art and Evolution

July 4th, 2006 was Independence Day, and for us that meant three things: Skateboarding, Music, and Art. PONSHOP Studio, Fredericksburg Skateboards, and Magic Bullet Records teamed up to host an afternoon of summer fun for downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia. The PONSHOP curated an exhibit of over sixty skateboard decks dating as far back as 1965 and spanning a timeline to today. Bands Worn In Red and Sparrows Swarm and Sing rocked the gallery space throughout the day while local skaters enjoyed two new ramps and other street obstacles in the parking lot. I set up shop in a makeshift outdoor studio, painting designs on the ramps, as well as the skaters' boards. My wife and fellow artist, Scarlett, held down the frontline - greeting visitors, passing out exhibit statements, and selling the new PONSHOP T-shirts. Needless to say a good time was had by all. Thanks once again to all that contributed and helped that day and thanks to LibertyTown Arts Workshop.

To read the Freelance Star article announcing the "Independence" event, click here.

Worn In Red Rockin' It Out
Sparrows Swarm and Sing from Lowell, MassachusettsThe Usual Suspects...
Raffle Fun"Independence" Exhibit

Ramps were donated to Curtis Memorial Park for endless summer sessions.

PONSHOP Private Lessons

Max Harvey is one of the PONSHOP veterans and has been a student of our studio since March of 2006. Every week Max brings hundreds of new ideas that he wants to explore in mediums such as collage, acrylic, and spray paint. Below is one of Max's recent pieces. If memory serves me correct, the working title for this piece is "Japan Attack." Max finds inspiration from everything in his environment: the video games he plays, the techno music he composes, especially the graffiti art and writing that he sees when touring from city to city. In fact, Max recently returned from a trip to London and I'm sure he's brimming over with new inspirations...well done Max!


Above: "Japan Attack" by Max Harvey, Mixed Media on Canvas, 12"x16"
Below: Detail


For more information about Private Classes, email me at gpons@ponshopstudio.com

"Mixing the Media" Spring Session: Student Work

"Mixing the Media" was a 2-session workshop (4 hours total) in which students created compositions using collage, acrylic paint, pencil, and spraypaint. I also shared some of my art library with the students, introducing them to artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring. Using both found images and reproductions of their past work, students composed paintings approximately 14"x22" in size. Good Job Kids!


Mixed Media Collage by Sarah Bachman (above: entire painting, below: detail)



Below: Mixed Media Collage by Suzanne Sharp (top: entire painting, bottom: detail)



For a current PONSHOP Class Schedule, click here