1994, Mother, 10x11 inches, intaglio and aquatint, off white paper (1 out of 6) by Kenney Mencher
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This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
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This print is called Mother, and I made it in 1994 while I was in grad school at the University of Cincinnati. It’s an intaglio and aquatint print, editioned 1 out of just 6, printed on warm-toned off-white paper that reminded me of old newspaper stock—fitting, since the image itself came from a photograph I clipped from the local paper.
I still have the preliminary wash drawing I did for this in one of my old sketchbooks. I showed that study to a student of mine (I was a TA teaching basic drawing at the time), and I remember her reaction clearly—she said there was something off about the image, a strange energy. That stuck with me. The original story was about a mother involved in a custody battle. On the surface, it looked like a tender moment—a woman holding her child, noses touching—but something about the mother’s expression and posture unsettled me.
It made me think about my own mom and how complex and sometimes creepy that relationship felt growing up. So while some people may read this print as sweet or loving, for me it’s more ambiguous. There’s an unease to it that reflects what I was feeling then.
The print was made using etching and aquatint. Etching allowed me to draw sharp lines directly into a metal plate using acid, and aquatint helped me build the soft, grainy tonal areas. Goya used aquatint heavily, and it’s a technique that takes a lot of finesse. You dust the plate with powdered resin, heat it until it melts, and then carefully etch the surface in acid. It’s not forgiving—but when it works, it gives a velvety texture that sits somewhere between drawing and painting.
Visually, the piece has a muted, almost monochromatic look—rich darks and warm mid-tones, with the off-white paper acting as a highlight. The style is a blend of realism and stylization. The figures are naturalistic in gesture, but the anatomy is simplified and abstracted. The boy’s back and the woman's arm form a strong diagonal, and their faces create a tight focal point near the center of the composition. I kept the background completely empty, which only intensifies the emotional weight between the two figures.
Compositionally, it’s compact and symmetrical, drawing you into the locked gaze (and nearly touching lips) of mother and child. That closeness is what makes it both powerful and, for me, a little disturbing.
This piece is part of my Fresh Finds series—a project where I’m digging into my archive and offering early, original works that have never really been seen or sold. These are the foundation of my development as an artist, and I thought it would be meaningful to share them now. They’re handmade, one-of-a-kind or small edition prints, and they’re part of my legacy.
Details:
Title: Mother
Year: 1994
Medium: Etching and aquatint on paper
Dimensions: approx. 10 x 11 inches
Edition: 1 of 6
Printed on warm off-white paper
Signed and numbered
From the Fresh Finds archive release
Based on a news photo from Cincinnati
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 print is called Mother, and I made it in 1994 while I was in grad school at the University of Cincinnati. It’s an intaglio and aquatint print, editioned 1 out of just 6, printed on warm-toned off-white paper that reminded me of old newspaper stock—fitting, since the image itself came from a photograph I clipped from the local paper.
I still have the preliminary wash drawing I did for this in one of my old sketchbooks. I showed that study to a student of mine (I was a TA teaching basic drawing at the time), and I remember her reaction clearly—she said there was something off about the image, a strange energy. That stuck with me. The original story was about a mother involved in a custody battle. On the surface, it looked like a tender moment—a woman holding her child, noses touching—but something about the mother’s expression and posture unsettled me.
It made me think about my own mom and how complex and sometimes creepy that relationship felt growing up. So while some people may read this print as sweet or loving, for me it’s more ambiguous. There’s an unease to it that reflects what I was feeling then.
The print was made using etching and aquatint. Etching allowed me to draw sharp lines directly into a metal plate using acid, and aquatint helped me build the soft, grainy tonal areas. Goya used aquatint heavily, and it’s a technique that takes a lot of finesse. You dust the plate with powdered resin, heat it until it melts, and then carefully etch the surface in acid. It’s not forgiving—but when it works, it gives a velvety texture that sits somewhere between drawing and painting.
Visually, the piece has a muted, almost monochromatic look—rich darks and warm mid-tones, with the off-white paper acting as a highlight. The style is a blend of realism and stylization. The figures are naturalistic in gesture, but the anatomy is simplified and abstracted. The boy’s back and the woman's arm form a strong diagonal, and their faces create a tight focal point near the center of the composition. I kept the background completely empty, which only intensifies the emotional weight between the two figures.
Compositionally, it’s compact and symmetrical, drawing you into the locked gaze (and nearly touching lips) of mother and child. That closeness is what makes it both powerful and, for me, a little disturbing.
This piece is part of my Fresh Finds series—a project where I’m digging into my archive and offering early, original works that have never really been seen or sold. These are the foundation of my development as an artist, and I thought it would be meaningful to share them now. They’re handmade, one-of-a-kind or small edition prints, and they’re part of my legacy.
Details:
Title: Mother
Year: 1994
Medium: Etching and aquatint on paper
Dimensions: approx. 10 x 11 inches
Edition: 1 of 6
Printed on warm off-white paper
Signed and numbered
From the Fresh Finds archive release
Based on a news photo from Cincinnati
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 print is called Mother, and I made it in 1994 while I was in grad school at the University of Cincinnati. It’s an intaglio and aquatint print, editioned 1 out of just 6, printed on warm-toned off-white paper that reminded me of old newspaper stock—fitting, since the image itself came from a photograph I clipped from the local paper.
I still have the preliminary wash drawing I did for this in one of my old sketchbooks. I showed that study to a student of mine (I was a TA teaching basic drawing at the time), and I remember her reaction clearly—she said there was something off about the image, a strange energy. That stuck with me. The original story was about a mother involved in a custody battle. On the surface, it looked like a tender moment—a woman holding her child, noses touching—but something about the mother’s expression and posture unsettled me.
It made me think about my own mom and how complex and sometimes creepy that relationship felt growing up. So while some people may read this print as sweet or loving, for me it’s more ambiguous. There’s an unease to it that reflects what I was feeling then.
The print was made using etching and aquatint. Etching allowed me to draw sharp lines directly into a metal plate using acid, and aquatint helped me build the soft, grainy tonal areas. Goya used aquatint heavily, and it’s a technique that takes a lot of finesse. You dust the plate with powdered resin, heat it until it melts, and then carefully etch the surface in acid. It’s not forgiving—but when it works, it gives a velvety texture that sits somewhere between drawing and painting.
Visually, the piece has a muted, almost monochromatic look—rich darks and warm mid-tones, with the off-white paper acting as a highlight. The style is a blend of realism and stylization. The figures are naturalistic in gesture, but the anatomy is simplified and abstracted. The boy’s back and the woman's arm form a strong diagonal, and their faces create a tight focal point near the center of the composition. I kept the background completely empty, which only intensifies the emotional weight between the two figures.
Compositionally, it’s compact and symmetrical, drawing you into the locked gaze (and nearly touching lips) of mother and child. That closeness is what makes it both powerful and, for me, a little disturbing.
This piece is part of my Fresh Finds series—a project where I’m digging into my archive and offering early, original works that have never really been seen or sold. These are the foundation of my development as an artist, and I thought it would be meaningful to share them now. They’re handmade, one-of-a-kind or small edition prints, and they’re part of my legacy.
Details:
Title: Mother
Year: 1994
Medium: Etching and aquatint on paper
Dimensions: approx. 10 x 11 inches
Edition: 1 of 6
Printed on warm off-white paper
Signed and numbered
From the Fresh Finds archive release
Based on a news photo from Cincinnati
