1993 Workboots, 23x42 and a half inches. oil on gallery wrapped canvas, by Kenney Mencher
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Shipping takes 3–4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This is one of the first paintings I made after I moved to Cincinnati for grad school in the early 1990s. I was still figuring out my direction, and at the time I was really drawn to the Bay Area Figurative movement—especially artists like Elmer Bischoff and Richard Diebenkorn. You can probably see some of that influence here in the abstracted shapes, the patchy brushwork, and the way the figure melts into light and shadow.
The model is Val who posed for me sitting next to a pair of black work boots that was a favorite. I thought they had a strong, butch energy that gave the scene a quiet intensity. The way Val’s slouched in the chair, turned away from the viewer, gives the whole piece a kind of introspective mood.
I stretched this canvas myself using redwood from the local lumber yard—back then I was obsessed with learning every part of the craft, from building my own stretcher bars to making my own gesso. I’d mix calcium carbonate (basically marble dust) into commercial gesso and then squeegee it into the canvas. If you look at the back of the painting, you can actually see places where the gesso pushed through the weave. There are even a couple of small oil spots that soaked through too. The surface is tough and has held up well for over 30 years.
It’s not a standard size (23 inches by 42.5 inches), which I chose deliberately because I wanted to play with proportion. That meant making everything myself, which also helped me save some money. The canvas is gallery wrapped and I painted the edges, so you don’t need to frame it—though I should mention there are a few minor scuffs on the edges.
This painting has hung in nearly every place I’ve lived for the past 35 years. It’s part of my “Fresh Finds” series, where I’m digging into my archive and releasing pieces that have been with me a long time. I’m doing this to share more of my story with collectors—these are personal works that are part of my history and legacy, and I think they deserve a chance to find new homes.
Details
Title: Work Boots
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 23 x 42.5 inches
Year: 1993
Surface: Gallery wrapped canvas with painted edges
Frame: Not needed (edges painted)
Condition: A few scuffs on the sides, minor oil spots on back from original process
Signed: Yes, on back
Influences: Bay Area Figurative, especially Bischoff and Diebenkorn
Location: Painted in Cincinnati during grad school
Part of: “Fresh Finds” archive release
Model: Val
Ships from: Round Lake Beach, Illinois
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3–4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This is one of the first paintings I made after I moved to Cincinnati for grad school in the early 1990s. I was still figuring out my direction, and at the time I was really drawn to the Bay Area Figurative movement—especially artists like Elmer Bischoff and Richard Diebenkorn. You can probably see some of that influence here in the abstracted shapes, the patchy brushwork, and the way the figure melts into light and shadow.
The model is Val who posed for me sitting next to a pair of black work boots that was a favorite. I thought they had a strong, butch energy that gave the scene a quiet intensity. The way Val’s slouched in the chair, turned away from the viewer, gives the whole piece a kind of introspective mood.
I stretched this canvas myself using redwood from the local lumber yard—back then I was obsessed with learning every part of the craft, from building my own stretcher bars to making my own gesso. I’d mix calcium carbonate (basically marble dust) into commercial gesso and then squeegee it into the canvas. If you look at the back of the painting, you can actually see places where the gesso pushed through the weave. There are even a couple of small oil spots that soaked through too. The surface is tough and has held up well for over 30 years.
It’s not a standard size (23 inches by 42.5 inches), which I chose deliberately because I wanted to play with proportion. That meant making everything myself, which also helped me save some money. The canvas is gallery wrapped and I painted the edges, so you don’t need to frame it—though I should mention there are a few minor scuffs on the edges.
This painting has hung in nearly every place I’ve lived for the past 35 years. It’s part of my “Fresh Finds” series, where I’m digging into my archive and releasing pieces that have been with me a long time. I’m doing this to share more of my story with collectors—these are personal works that are part of my history and legacy, and I think they deserve a chance to find new homes.
Details
Title: Work Boots
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 23 x 42.5 inches
Year: 1993
Surface: Gallery wrapped canvas with painted edges
Frame: Not needed (edges painted)
Condition: A few scuffs on the sides, minor oil spots on back from original process
Signed: Yes, on back
Influences: Bay Area Figurative, especially Bischoff and Diebenkorn
Location: Painted in Cincinnati during grad school
Part of: “Fresh Finds” archive release
Model: Val
Ships from: Round Lake Beach, Illinois
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3–4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
This is one of the first paintings I made after I moved to Cincinnati for grad school in the early 1990s. I was still figuring out my direction, and at the time I was really drawn to the Bay Area Figurative movement—especially artists like Elmer Bischoff and Richard Diebenkorn. You can probably see some of that influence here in the abstracted shapes, the patchy brushwork, and the way the figure melts into light and shadow.
The model is Val who posed for me sitting next to a pair of black work boots that was a favorite. I thought they had a strong, butch energy that gave the scene a quiet intensity. The way Val’s slouched in the chair, turned away from the viewer, gives the whole piece a kind of introspective mood.
I stretched this canvas myself using redwood from the local lumber yard—back then I was obsessed with learning every part of the craft, from building my own stretcher bars to making my own gesso. I’d mix calcium carbonate (basically marble dust) into commercial gesso and then squeegee it into the canvas. If you look at the back of the painting, you can actually see places where the gesso pushed through the weave. There are even a couple of small oil spots that soaked through too. The surface is tough and has held up well for over 30 years.
It’s not a standard size (23 inches by 42.5 inches), which I chose deliberately because I wanted to play with proportion. That meant making everything myself, which also helped me save some money. The canvas is gallery wrapped and I painted the edges, so you don’t need to frame it—though I should mention there are a few minor scuffs on the edges.
This painting has hung in nearly every place I’ve lived for the past 35 years. It’s part of my “Fresh Finds” series, where I’m digging into my archive and releasing pieces that have been with me a long time. I’m doing this to share more of my story with collectors—these are personal works that are part of my history and legacy, and I think they deserve a chance to find new homes.
Details
Title: Work Boots
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 23 x 42.5 inches
Year: 1993
Surface: Gallery wrapped canvas with painted edges
Frame: Not needed (edges painted)
Condition: A few scuffs on the sides, minor oil spots on back from original process
Signed: Yes, on back
Influences: Bay Area Figurative, especially Bischoff and Diebenkorn
Location: Painted in Cincinnati during grad school
Part of: “Fresh Finds” archive release
Model: Val
Ships from: Round Lake Beach, Illinois
