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Shipping takes 3–4 Weeks
This is an original work, not a print or a copy.
When I painted Two Amorous Bears, I was trying to capture a quiet, affectionate moment between two older men—something tender, strong, and unguarded. The painting is based on sketches and studies I had been working on for a while, but I didn’t use models. I wanted to invent the figures from memory and imagination, so the result feels more like a distilled expression of connection than a literal portrait.
I painted this in an alla prima style, meaning it was completed in one session while the paint was still wet. I started by toning the canvas with burnt sienna, then sketched the forms using burnt umber before wiping out the lights. After that, I mixed a range of warm and cool flesh tones and painted directly into the wet surface—what artists like Sorolla and John Singer Sargent often did to create immediacy and softness in their work.
The thick, directional brushwork builds the texture of skin and muscle, with marks that move along the contours of the figures. I use bristle brushes and occasionally the back of the brush to draw into the wet paint, creating both texture and rhythm. The palette is mostly warm—siennas, umbers, and soft pinks—balanced by neutral grays in the background. The contrast between the smooth modeling of the faces and the broader, more painterly strokes around them adds to the sense of intimacy.
I think this piece works as both a study of form and a reflection of affection—two people who share space and trust. It’s part of my larger exploration of painting men with honesty and compassion, using traditional techniques to describe contemporary subjects.
When I ship a painting like this, I do all the packing myself. Each work is wrapped in archival materials, cushioned carefully, boxed securely, and fully insured. I take time with it because I want it to arrive in the same condition it left my studio.
Details
Title: Two Amorous Bears
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Medium: Oil on canvas panel
Size: 12 x 16 inches
Year: 2025
Signed: Lower left
Frame: Unframed
Condition: Original, new
Shipping: Free, insured, 3–4 weeks
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3–4 Weeks
This is an original work, not a print or a copy.
When I painted Two Amorous Bears, I was trying to capture a quiet, affectionate moment between two older men—something tender, strong, and unguarded. The painting is based on sketches and studies I had been working on for a while, but I didn’t use models. I wanted to invent the figures from memory and imagination, so the result feels more like a distilled expression of connection than a literal portrait.
I painted this in an alla prima style, meaning it was completed in one session while the paint was still wet. I started by toning the canvas with burnt sienna, then sketched the forms using burnt umber before wiping out the lights. After that, I mixed a range of warm and cool flesh tones and painted directly into the wet surface—what artists like Sorolla and John Singer Sargent often did to create immediacy and softness in their work.
The thick, directional brushwork builds the texture of skin and muscle, with marks that move along the contours of the figures. I use bristle brushes and occasionally the back of the brush to draw into the wet paint, creating both texture and rhythm. The palette is mostly warm—siennas, umbers, and soft pinks—balanced by neutral grays in the background. The contrast between the smooth modeling of the faces and the broader, more painterly strokes around them adds to the sense of intimacy.
I think this piece works as both a study of form and a reflection of affection—two people who share space and trust. It’s part of my larger exploration of painting men with honesty and compassion, using traditional techniques to describe contemporary subjects.
When I ship a painting like this, I do all the packing myself. Each work is wrapped in archival materials, cushioned carefully, boxed securely, and fully insured. I take time with it because I want it to arrive in the same condition it left my studio.
Details
Title: Two Amorous Bears
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Medium: Oil on canvas panel
Size: 12 x 16 inches
Year: 2025
Signed: Lower left
Frame: Unframed
Condition: Original, new
Shipping: Free, insured, 3–4 weeks
