"A Place on Judah" – 16x20 by Kenney Mencher (18x22 Framed) – 1997 Figurative Café Scene – Original Art
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This is a handmade work of art NOT a print
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
I painted "A Place on Judah" in 1997, shortly after Valerie and I took a road trip from Laredo, Texas to San Francisco. We had been living in Laredo for my first teaching job. I was grateful for the paycheck and space to paint, but the environment was uncomfortable—something straight out of Touch of Evil. That summer, we packed up the car, brought our dog, and stayed with a friend in the Sunset District. That’s where we took the reference photos for this painting—inside a café on Judah Street.
This is a 16x20 inch oil painting on panel, framed to 18x22 inches. I painted the panel using the alla prima method, laying down most of the composition while the paint was still wet. I was working from photos we shot using a black and white camera, which helped me simplify tones and focus on the atmosphere of the moment. The painting shows two people talking across a table—Valerie and me. She’s wearing a spray-painted sweatshirt, and I’m in a green blazer that a friend gave me.
The frame is from a thrift store, which I painted with black acrylic gesso to make it feel more finished. It’s wired on the back and ready to hang. This was pretty typical for me at the time—I didn’t have a framing budget, but I still wanted the presentation to feel intentional.
My work from this period was influenced by Lucian Freud and the Bay Area Figurative painters. I was aiming for expressive brushwork, solid form, and a sense of mood. This painting is part of a larger effort I’m making to release some of my earlier work from storage—paintings I’ve held onto for years but that I now want to make available to collectors, old and new.
Details:
Title: "A Place on Judah"
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Year: 1997
Medium: Oil on panel
Painting Size: 16 x 20 inches
Framed Size: 18 x 22 inches
Frame: Vintage thrift store frame, hand-painted with black acrylic gesso
Technique: Alla prima (direct painting, wet-into-wet)
Style: Figurative, café interior scene
Condition: Framed and ready to hang; frame has light wear consistent with age and handmade finish
Shipping: Ships securely with insurance and tracking
Note: Signed on the front
FREE SHIPPING
This is a handmade work of art NOT a print
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
I painted "A Place on Judah" in 1997, shortly after Valerie and I took a road trip from Laredo, Texas to San Francisco. We had been living in Laredo for my first teaching job. I was grateful for the paycheck and space to paint, but the environment was uncomfortable—something straight out of Touch of Evil. That summer, we packed up the car, brought our dog, and stayed with a friend in the Sunset District. That’s where we took the reference photos for this painting—inside a café on Judah Street.
This is a 16x20 inch oil painting on panel, framed to 18x22 inches. I painted the panel using the alla prima method, laying down most of the composition while the paint was still wet. I was working from photos we shot using a black and white camera, which helped me simplify tones and focus on the atmosphere of the moment. The painting shows two people talking across a table—Valerie and me. She’s wearing a spray-painted sweatshirt, and I’m in a green blazer that a friend gave me.
The frame is from a thrift store, which I painted with black acrylic gesso to make it feel more finished. It’s wired on the back and ready to hang. This was pretty typical for me at the time—I didn’t have a framing budget, but I still wanted the presentation to feel intentional.
My work from this period was influenced by Lucian Freud and the Bay Area Figurative painters. I was aiming for expressive brushwork, solid form, and a sense of mood. This painting is part of a larger effort I’m making to release some of my earlier work from storage—paintings I’ve held onto for years but that I now want to make available to collectors, old and new.
Details:
Title: "A Place on Judah"
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Year: 1997
Medium: Oil on panel
Painting Size: 16 x 20 inches
Framed Size: 18 x 22 inches
Frame: Vintage thrift store frame, hand-painted with black acrylic gesso
Technique: Alla prima (direct painting, wet-into-wet)
Style: Figurative, café interior scene
Condition: Framed and ready to hang; frame has light wear consistent with age and handmade finish
Shipping: Ships securely with insurance and tracking
Note: Signed on the front
FREE SHIPPING
This is a handmade work of art NOT a print
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
I painted "A Place on Judah" in 1997, shortly after Valerie and I took a road trip from Laredo, Texas to San Francisco. We had been living in Laredo for my first teaching job. I was grateful for the paycheck and space to paint, but the environment was uncomfortable—something straight out of Touch of Evil. That summer, we packed up the car, brought our dog, and stayed with a friend in the Sunset District. That’s where we took the reference photos for this painting—inside a café on Judah Street.
This is a 16x20 inch oil painting on panel, framed to 18x22 inches. I painted the panel using the alla prima method, laying down most of the composition while the paint was still wet. I was working from photos we shot using a black and white camera, which helped me simplify tones and focus on the atmosphere of the moment. The painting shows two people talking across a table—Valerie and me. She’s wearing a spray-painted sweatshirt, and I’m in a green blazer that a friend gave me.
The frame is from a thrift store, which I painted with black acrylic gesso to make it feel more finished. It’s wired on the back and ready to hang. This was pretty typical for me at the time—I didn’t have a framing budget, but I still wanted the presentation to feel intentional.
My work from this period was influenced by Lucian Freud and the Bay Area Figurative painters. I was aiming for expressive brushwork, solid form, and a sense of mood. This painting is part of a larger effort I’m making to release some of my earlier work from storage—paintings I’ve held onto for years but that I now want to make available to collectors, old and new.
Details:
Title: "A Place on Judah"
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Year: 1997
Medium: Oil on panel
Painting Size: 16 x 20 inches
Framed Size: 18 x 22 inches
Frame: Vintage thrift store frame, hand-painted with black acrylic gesso
Technique: Alla prima (direct painting, wet-into-wet)
Style: Figurative, café interior scene
Condition: Framed and ready to hang; frame has light wear consistent with age and handmade finish
Shipping: Ships securely with insurance and tracking
Note: Signed on the front
