FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3–4 Weeks
This is an original work, not a print or a copy.
Wistful Young Man came out of one of those frustrating studio days that somehow turn productive. I had spent hours on a painting that just wasn’t working, so I scraped the entire surface clean with plastering knives. The result was a rough, brownish ground with a blurred, textured surface that invited me to start again. I decided to paint directly into it, working alla prima—wet into wet—and after a few hours, this portrait emerged.
I was trying to capture a specific kind of mood, that slightly distant, thoughtful expression that feels both youthful and uncertain. The thick brushwork adds energy to the surface, and I let the strokes stay visible to keep the painting honest and spontaneous. I used bristle brushes for the skin tones and palette knives for the background to create contrast between the smooth and rough textures.
The background color—a muted violet—helps bring out the warmth of the skin tones, while the streaks of orange in the hair create a rhythm that moves your eye around the painting. I wasn’t aiming for a photographic likeness but rather a balance between emotion, form, and the tactile pleasure of paint.
This piece feels like a good reminder that sometimes failed starts can lead to something better. I ship all of my paintings carefully packed, insured, and ready to hang straight from my studio in Illinois.
Details
Title: Wistful Young Man
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Medium: Oil on canvas panel
Size: 12 x 16 inches
Year: 2025
Signed: Lower right
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.
Wistful Young Man came out of one of those frustrating studio days that somehow turn productive. I had spent hours on a painting that just wasn’t working, so I scraped the entire surface clean with plastering knives. The result was a rough, brownish ground with a blurred, textured surface that invited me to start again. I decided to paint directly into it, working alla prima—wet into wet—and after a few hours, this portrait emerged.
I was trying to capture a specific kind of mood, that slightly distant, thoughtful expression that feels both youthful and uncertain. The thick brushwork adds energy to the surface, and I let the strokes stay visible to keep the painting honest and spontaneous. I used bristle brushes for the skin tones and palette knives for the background to create contrast between the smooth and rough textures.
The background color—a muted violet—helps bring out the warmth of the skin tones, while the streaks of orange in the hair create a rhythm that moves your eye around the painting. I wasn’t aiming for a photographic likeness but rather a balance between emotion, form, and the tactile pleasure of paint.
This piece feels like a good reminder that sometimes failed starts can lead to something better. I ship all of my paintings carefully packed, insured, and ready to hang straight from my studio in Illinois.
Details
Title: Wistful Young Man
Artist: Kenney Mencher
Medium: Oil on canvas panel
Size: 12 x 16 inches
Year: 2025
Signed: Lower right
Frame: Unframed
Condition: Original, new
Shipping: Free, insured, 3–4 weeks
