Unfinished Works in Progress

http://kenney-mencher.com/

 

Work in Progress (Portrait of Joe Louis)

 

Unfinished Work in Progress

http://kenney-mencher.com/

 

I've been working in batches starting with preliminary drawings on paper.

 I've been working in batches starting with preliminary drawings on paper.

I like to work in a series in which I do similar or the same images as drawings and or watercolors then try them out again in oil.  Some collectors prefer works on paper while others want and oil so it is a “win win” kind of deal.  I keep thinking of ways to tweak or change the textures and color schemes slightly.  Often doing paper ones before help me to feel more confident enough to work on the oils.

I just completed about thirty drawings and watercolors, then I completed the oil underpaintings in the last month or so. Now working on the last layer.  It should take me around four to six more weeks.  Expect a new batch of stuff soon!

Standard Sizes for Art, (Making Art with Framing, Packaging and Shipping in Mind)

 One of the things that I started doing almost ten years ago was buying canvas panels, paper, and cutting paper down to fit into standard size boxes, envelopes and frames.  It has the benefit of making it easy to ship and to frame work both for my collectors and shows.

Here's a diagram of how I cut large sheets 22"x30" sheets of Rives BFK print making paper. The diagram also includes standard sizes for frames.   

It also has the added element of being able to buy stiff cardboard envelopes from companies like Uline.com.  I also save the boxes that the envelopes and other packing materials come in so that I can use it for stiffening the packages.

 

February 11, 2021 PICTURE OF THE WEEK WWCC Board Member Icon Ebony Fierce   This weekend, board member and empresario Icon Ebony Fierce hosts a fabulous weekend of performances and awards during a very special community event:   Love+Solidarity More info below.

What's ahead:   Love+Solidarity Black Lives/Black Lungs Way Home Black Book Discussion Group Black Trans History DVLF Online Auction Art Exhibition Rainbow Reading Queer Writers Collective The WWCC Pride Shop Peer Counseling TransWay Online MorningsOut Facebook Twitter Instagram Speaking Out for Equality is an online exhibit produced by the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives that tells the courageous story of LGBT civil rights in the courts and in the streets.

These are difficult times. There's help there when you need it. Here are some useful resources: Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Intervention Hotline (215)-686-4420 LGBTQ National Hotline (888)-843-4564   Philadelphia Hate Crimes Hotline (215)-686-8931   Trans Lifeline (877)-565-8860 Love+Solidarity Saturday, February 13, 6:00pm - 9:00pm Sunday, February 14 11:00am - 2:00pm The event you’ve all been anticipating in support of the William Way Community Center! Love+Solidarity: An on-line festival celebrating all of us, by all of us. As Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community center, it is part of our mission to provide space that is home for our expansive community. This year has been like no other in the history of the Center. Love+Solidarity 2021, was born out of the community's’ desire to celebrate ourselves, all the  types of love that nourish us and the way we, as queer communities, thrive from this collective care. Love is bigger than romance. It’s love for self and love for community; what better way to celebrate that than a multifaceted digital festival! This two day event will have a melting pot of amazing segments including a panel of community organizers, awards, cooking demos, music to dance to in-between, and some amazing drag entertainment to enjoy while you are at home having your cocktails! To see a full list of performers, honorees and events, and to purchase tickets, please visit ​https://www.eventbrite.com/e/love-solidarity-tickets-135707154753 Many thanks to our supporters: IBEW at the Sponsor level; PECO, The Philly Foundation, Trinity Mid-Atlantic, The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and Moore Brothers Wine Co. at the Event Partner level;  Republic Bank, Prelude Solutions, Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni's Room, Windows Management Experts and ChatterBlast at the Event Supporter level. Black Lives/Black Lungs: A Film Screening and Conversation Feb 24, 2021, 12:00 pm   Join us in recognizing Black History Month with a midday screening of Lincoln Mondy's short film "Black Lives/Black Lungs". Following the screening will be a conversation on health justice in Black communities facilitated by the Office of LGBT Affairs Executive Director Celena Morrison and Tobacco Treatment and Wellness Coordinator Jarma Frisby. This event is presented in partnership between the Office of LGBT Affairs, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the William Way LGBT Community Center, and Health Promotion Council. Zoom registration: https://waygay-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMpd-qqpz4tGdIRW_aACJdtkrsP4ZoNCUjL Way Home Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to live, especially during a pandemic.   By helping to house participants in the Way Home program, you are playing an integral role not only in helping individuals take charge of their lives, but also in making your community a better place to live. To see if you are eligible for assistance, answer a few quick questions online: BIT.LY/WAYHOMEAPPLY (English) BIT.LY/CAMINOALHOGAR (Español) For more information about applying or partnering, contact us at WayHome@selfincorp.org or call 215-852-0874.   We look forward to hearing from you! We care as much about our relationship with our landlords as we do our program participants. We need everyone to make our program work. Special Black History Month (and Beyond) Book Discussion Group Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton  Sponsored by the Arcila Adams Trans Resource Center and the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives and Library   In Black on Both Sides, C. Riley Snorton identifies multiple intersections between blackness and transness from the mid-nineteenth century to present-day anti-black and anti-trans legislation and violence. Drawing on a deep and varied archive of materials, Snorton attends to how slavery and the production of racialized gender provided the foundations for an understanding of gender as mutable.  Schedule: Wednesday, February 24 - 6-7 pm: Introduction and Chapter 1 (Zoom registration) Wednesday, March 31 - 6-7 pm: Chapters 2 and 3 (Zoom registration) Wednesday, April 28 - 6-7 pm: Chapters 4 and 5 (Zoom registration) Book available for purchase from Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni's Room Philly Black Trans History Panel Discussion February 25, 6:00 pm BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER!   This Black History Month, Philly Trans March will host the 5th Annual "Philly Black Trans History: A Multigenerational Panel Discussion" featuring some of the city's most influential Black Trans pioneers of ALL ages. This event is a celebration of Black Trans Resilience and is an opportunity for local community members, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, allies and accomplices to learn about Philadelphia's Black Trans History, Past and Present, as well as our hopes and dreams for the future. The event will allow community members to connect with local leaders within local Trans communities, to better understand the life experiences of Black Trans individuals in our city and to challenge assumptions, misconceptions, prejudices and stereotypes. A live FaceBook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/231949418578779   The Delaware Valley Legacy Fund is  excited to offer a number of priceless items for this weekend’s SHOW YOUR LOVE Online Silent Auction. You can see the items up for auction and bid here: https://pages.snwbll.com/auction/m_FGXx4RlX7ZUetEf3C0vbuw/show-your-love Meridian Lowe  I Don't Know Why I'm Crying, frame 3 Multimedia on felt, 13 x 13 x 1", 2020 The 15th Annual Juried Art Exhibition   2020 has been fraught with incredible challenges and loss. While  this is something unique for many, the Queer community has been through moments like this before, so we are uniquely equipped to address  this moment. We have always redefined parameters of time and space. Our embrace of failure, resilience and resistance is our strength, creating possibilities for a new world of liberation and love. This multigenerational show explores themes ranging from identity politics, to mental health issues, desire and history. The  overarching result is a fleshy delivery of Queer manifestation.  Prices for works that are available for sale are listed within the captions for each artwork. 65% of each sale will go to the artist and 35% will go to the Community Center to support our arts & culture programs. If you would like to make a purchase please email John Anderies (janderies@waygay.org), who will make arrangements to take your credit card information over the phone and make artwork delivery arrangements. View the exhibition here: https://www.waygay.org/15th-annual Rainbow Reading Book Club February 17, 6:00 pm: "Sugar Run" by Mesha Maren March 17, 6:00 pm: "A Boy's Own Story" by Edmund White April 21, 6:00 pm: "Bastard Out of Carolina" by Dorothy Allison May 19. 6:00 pm: "Real Life" by Brandon Taylor    (345 S. 12th St.) offers book club members a 10% discount on each month’s selected book. The club meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. though scheduling conflicts sometimes move the meeting to a different Wednesday of the month.Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni’s Room Rainbow Reading is our book club devoted to the queer literary experience. A new book is selected each month and represent a diverse range of themes, genres, and authors reflective of the LGBTQ+ experience. For more information, contact info@waygay.org. Queer Writers Collective Do you have something to say? Do you want to workshop your writing with others in community? Our monthly writing workshops and discussions are designed to help develop queer voices via the written word. The next Zoom meeting: February 27, 2021 - 2:30-5:00 pm Upcoming meetings, the 4th Saturday of every month: March 27, 2021 - 2:30-5:00 pm April 24, 2021 - 2:30-5:00 pm May 22, 2021 - 2:30-5:00 pm June 26, 2021 - 2:30-5:00 pm To receive the Zoom meeting link and join the Queer Writers Collective mailing list, email info@waygay.org The Pride Shop Is Open 24/7 Show your support for the William Way Center by shopping at the new online Pride Shop at the William Way. There are official face masks, hoodies, t-shirts and pronoun mugs, so there's a perfect gift for all your loved ones...and yourself. It's WAY GAY approved! Visit the Pride Shop today, right here. Peer Counseling   Peer Counseling is available Monday-Friday, from 6 pm to 9 pm. We offer confidential one-on-one counseling over the phone or via videoconferencing, referrals to resources, and information on a variety of issues including organizations, support groups, therapists and more.  Peer Counseling is completely free with no appointment required. Simply call during our operating hours and say your first name or “Peer Counseling” at the prompt. During the pandemic, we can be reached at our temporary number: 267-416-0451 Please follow us on social media and share us with your friends:  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wwpcphiladelphia  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wwpcphilly/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/wwpcphilly TransWay Online TransWay is a diverse weekly social group for the transgender and gender nonconforming community, providing a space where what is often a disenfranchised and marginalized segment of the community can find commonality and support. Transway meets via Zoom every Thursday from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.   Everyone is welcome! For access to the weekly Zoom events, join the TransWay Facebook group.  MorningsOut   MorningsOut is a social and educational discussion group for GBT men over 50. It's one of the oldest and most successful programs of the William Way Center. MorningsOut began 15 years ago with about two dozen members and now boasts an active email list of over 400. MorningsOut meets via Zoom every Tuesday morning at 10:30 am and features guest speakers and lively discussions. For more information and to join the MorningsOut email list and the Zoom meetings, send an email to: MorningsOutWWCC@gmail.com DONATE From art exhibitions, to knitting, to meetings, to concerts, there's always something happening at the Center! CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL PROGRAM CALENDAR.