Bear and a Cuppa, 12x12 inches oil on canvas panel by Kenney Mencher
$375.00
Sold Out
FREE SHIPPING ON THIS ORIGINAL WORK OF ART
(Shipping takes 3-4 weeks)
This original painting is one of the few rare paintings that I've made from my imagination. I usually need some sort of reference material such as a photograph or a live model to make my art and in this case I was attempting to make a painting based on a sort of shopping list of ideas that I had for both the subject matter and how it would look.
The subject, is one of my favorite homoerotic subjects to paint. A large bearish man wearing a T-shirt or a tank top. There's something so basic and so sexy about middle-aged men and especially bears. In this case he looks a little bit more like a muscle bear because his arms are so thick. I wanted the painting to have a high contrast of light and shadow, this is often referred to by an art buzzword called "chiaroscuro" and or with the spotlighting effect also referred to in Italian as "tenebrism."
I wanted the painting to be a more intimate and familiar kind of genre scene. The kind of scene of everyday life in which someone is drinking cup of coffee or large cup of tea and is caught up in the moment. That's why I've cropped in so close on the head and shoulders and in some ways the figure almost seems anonymous because he's not engaging with anyone else and the mug serves as a kind of mask or cover for his face.
This painting was done in the "alla prima" method. The alla prima is an Italian phrase that means 'at first attempt'. It refers to a wet-on-wet approach whereby wet paint is applied to previous layers of still-wet paint, often in a single sitting. Over the years, the technique has been adopted and adapted by artists from Van Gogh to Velázquez.
The paint is very think and this allows me to use the reverse end of the brush and pencils to etch hair into the paint surface. I’m also attempting to work with brush work and thick and thin paint in a more stylized and calligraphic way. I want the paint to be thickest where the light is the brightest and thinner in the darker areas. The direction of the brush strokes is meant to follow and amplify the contours of the forms and make it feel more tangible.
Here's a bit more about me the artist,
EDUCATION
1993-1995 University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
MFA Painting
1991-1994 University of California, Davis, CA
MA Art History
1988-1991 City University of New York, Bronx, NY
Magna Cum Laude; BA Art History
1988 University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
1981-1985 Art Students' League, Manhattan, NY
1978-1982 Art & Design High School, Manhattan, NY
EMPLOYMENT
1999-2016 Associate Professor of Art & Art History, Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
1998-1999 Instructor of Art History & Western Civilization, San Francisco University High School
1996-1998 Assistant Professor of Art & Art History, Texas A&M University, Laredo, TX
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 Lone Star Saloon, San Francisco, CA
It’s All About the Bears
2016 Tracy Center for the Arts, Tracy, CA
The Convict and the Boy, A Graphic Novel and Installation by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Art Museum of Los Gatos, Los Gatos, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2011 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2008 Sequential Art Gallery, Portland, OR
Cads and Coquettes
2008 Varnish Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
Lovers and Liars
2007 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Faces and Farces
2007 Gallery 2611, Redwood City, CA
Clichés and Characters
2006 Klaudia Marr Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Kenney Mencher: Recent Work
2006 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Apperceptions and Allegories
2006 Norton Studio Gallery, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
Being There
2006 Esteban Sabar Gallery, Oakland, CA
Similes and Sayings
2005 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Hamlettes on Wry
2005 Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View, CA
2004 Louie-Meager Art Gallery, Gary Soren Smith Center, Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
Dress Code
2004 STRS Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1997 Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo, TX
Noir Images (Solo Show)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
The Men's Room
2010 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Go Figure
2010 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Resurgence
2009 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
In Black and White: Monochromatic Paintings by Kenney Mencher and Caroline Meyer
2008 Art Museum of Los Gatos, CA
Sex, Politics and Misogyny, Peter Langenbach and Kenney Mencher
2006-07 Klaudia Marr, Santa Fe, NM
14th Annual Realism Invitational
13th Annual Realism Invitational
2006 Triton Art Museum, Santa Clara, CA
Beyond the Likeness: Self Portraits by California Artists
2003 Hang Gallery Palo Alto, CA
One More Thing Before I Go
1999 Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
First Annual Realism Invitational
2001 Craighead-Green, Dallas, TX
Kenney Mencher and Connie Connally
1998 Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Small Works
1998 Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Nancy Switzer, Milt Kobayashi, and Kenney Mencher
_______________________________________________________________
Ratings and Reviews
Michael
Rated 5 out of 5
Many thanks . Great shipping and and came with a personalized note and a bonus painting . Love Kenney and his wonderful art .
Joshua
Rated 5 out of 5
Shipped much faster than expected! As always, Kenney’s work is stunning and captures the male figure in such a beautiful way. I bought the figure drawing on the right (an original piece of his) and this print complimented it so well.
Brian O'CONNOR
Rated 5 out of 5
Absolutely beautiful! Amazingly beautiful, thank you!
markemoody435
Rated 5 out of 5
Arrived quickly and well packaged. This is my second purchase from this artist--very pleased again!
Yihao
Rated 5 out of 5
Mark
Rated 5 out of 5
Great quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded!
Mark
Rated 5 out of 5
Great quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded!
Mark
Rated 5 out of 5
Great quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded!
KC
Rated 5 out of 5
Another incredible piece of artwork in my home from the talented and kind Kenney Mencher! I am so pleased to have added this to my collection of work from him, and he is such a delight to interact with. I highly recommend his work!
Kevin
Rated 5 out of 5
Even more beautiful in person! Amazing artist!!!
Edward
Rated 5 out of 5
As usual, Kenney's artwork is warm AND hot. I love the piece and it looks better in person than on the screen. Thanks!
jkarceski
Rated 5 out of 5
Amazing painting! Thank you! I love it!
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Nice price of art. Thanks.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
So happy I was able to purchase this treasure. Great addition to my collection. Marvelous artist.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Fantastic art and artist. Love.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Very nice quality and great artist.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Fantastic! Great artist. Collected his art for years. Postcards make it fun to share with others.
Art
Rated 5 out of 5
Another amazing painting to add to my Kenney Mencher collection. I look forward to getting it framed and adding it to my gallery wall.
Leslie
Rated 5 out of 5
I bet the original is amazing, I’m happy to have a copy for my wall. It’s great.
Morgan
Rated 5 out of 5
Kenny is the best! Love his work and he’s as kind as he is talented!
Edward
Rated 5 out of 5
I love, love, LOVE this painting! Thank you Kenney!
PoojiDung
Rated 5 out of 5
Beautiful art! I can’t believe I own it. Both paintings look even better in person. The piece “Vacation” Is larger than described (almost 6’ tall rather than the 5’ listed). Communication was fantastic, shipping was smooth, and delivery went off without a hitch. Seller included some small prints and documentation before the paintings could be shipped and also sent a personalized water color in advance. Thank you, Kenney!
KC
Rated 5 out of 5
Lovely print from Kenney Mencher. My only regret is not having been able to purchase the original!
(Shipping takes 3-4 weeks)
This original painting is one of the few rare paintings that I've made from my imagination. I usually need some sort of reference material such as a photograph or a live model to make my art and in this case I was attempting to make a painting based on a sort of shopping list of ideas that I had for both the subject matter and how it would look.
The subject, is one of my favorite homoerotic subjects to paint. A large bearish man wearing a T-shirt or a tank top. There's something so basic and so sexy about middle-aged men and especially bears. In this case he looks a little bit more like a muscle bear because his arms are so thick. I wanted the painting to have a high contrast of light and shadow, this is often referred to by an art buzzword called "chiaroscuro" and or with the spotlighting effect also referred to in Italian as "tenebrism."
I wanted the painting to be a more intimate and familiar kind of genre scene. The kind of scene of everyday life in which someone is drinking cup of coffee or large cup of tea and is caught up in the moment. That's why I've cropped in so close on the head and shoulders and in some ways the figure almost seems anonymous because he's not engaging with anyone else and the mug serves as a kind of mask or cover for his face.
This painting was done in the "alla prima" method. The alla prima is an Italian phrase that means 'at first attempt'. It refers to a wet-on-wet approach whereby wet paint is applied to previous layers of still-wet paint, often in a single sitting. Over the years, the technique has been adopted and adapted by artists from Van Gogh to Velázquez.
The paint is very think and this allows me to use the reverse end of the brush and pencils to etch hair into the paint surface. I’m also attempting to work with brush work and thick and thin paint in a more stylized and calligraphic way. I want the paint to be thickest where the light is the brightest and thinner in the darker areas. The direction of the brush strokes is meant to follow and amplify the contours of the forms and make it feel more tangible.
Here's a bit more about me the artist,
EDUCATION
1993-1995 University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
MFA Painting
1991-1994 University of California, Davis, CA
MA Art History
1988-1991 City University of New York, Bronx, NY
Magna Cum Laude; BA Art History
1988 University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
1981-1985 Art Students' League, Manhattan, NY
1978-1982 Art & Design High School, Manhattan, NY
EMPLOYMENT
1999-2016 Associate Professor of Art & Art History, Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
1998-1999 Instructor of Art History & Western Civilization, San Francisco University High School
1996-1998 Assistant Professor of Art & Art History, Texas A&M University, Laredo, TX
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 Lone Star Saloon, San Francisco, CA
It’s All About the Bears
2016 Tracy Center for the Arts, Tracy, CA
The Convict and the Boy, A Graphic Novel and Installation by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2012 Art Museum of Los Gatos, Los Gatos, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2011 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Renovated Reputations: Paintings, Installation and Mixed Media by Kenney Mencher with publication edited by the artist.
2008 Sequential Art Gallery, Portland, OR
Cads and Coquettes
2008 Varnish Fine Art, San Francisco, CA
Lovers and Liars
2007 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Faces and Farces
2007 Gallery 2611, Redwood City, CA
Clichés and Characters
2006 Klaudia Marr Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Kenney Mencher: Recent Work
2006 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Apperceptions and Allegories
2006 Norton Studio Gallery, Pacific Art League, Palo Alto, CA
Being There
2006 Esteban Sabar Gallery, Oakland, CA
Similes and Sayings
2005 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Hamlettes on Wry
2005 Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View, CA
2004 Louie-Meager Art Gallery, Gary Soren Smith Center, Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
Dress Code
2004 STRS Gallery, Sacramento, CA
1997 Laredo Center for the Arts, Laredo, TX
Noir Images (Solo Show)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
The Men's Room
2010 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Go Figure
2010 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Resurgence
2009 ArtHaus Gallery, San Francisco, CA
In Black and White: Monochromatic Paintings by Kenney Mencher and Caroline Meyer
2008 Art Museum of Los Gatos, CA
Sex, Politics and Misogyny, Peter Langenbach and Kenney Mencher
2006-07 Klaudia Marr, Santa Fe, NM
14th Annual Realism Invitational
13th Annual Realism Invitational
2006 Triton Art Museum, Santa Clara, CA
Beyond the Likeness: Self Portraits by California Artists
2003 Hang Gallery Palo Alto, CA
One More Thing Before I Go
1999 Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
First Annual Realism Invitational
2001 Craighead-Green, Dallas, TX
Kenney Mencher and Connie Connally
1998 Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Small Works
1998 Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Nancy Switzer, Milt Kobayashi, and Kenney Mencher
_______________________________________________________________
Ratings and Reviews
Michael
Rated 5 out of 5
Many thanks . Great shipping and and came with a personalized note and a bonus painting . Love Kenney and his wonderful art .
Joshua
Rated 5 out of 5
Shipped much faster than expected! As always, Kenney’s work is stunning and captures the male figure in such a beautiful way. I bought the figure drawing on the right (an original piece of his) and this print complimented it so well.
Brian O'CONNOR
Rated 5 out of 5
Absolutely beautiful! Amazingly beautiful, thank you!
markemoody435
Rated 5 out of 5
Arrived quickly and well packaged. This is my second purchase from this artist--very pleased again!
Yihao
Rated 5 out of 5
Mark
Rated 5 out of 5
Great quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded!
Mark
Rated 5 out of 5
Great quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded!
Mark
Rated 5 out of 5
Great quality. Item as described. Expectations exceeded!
KC
Rated 5 out of 5
Another incredible piece of artwork in my home from the talented and kind Kenney Mencher! I am so pleased to have added this to my collection of work from him, and he is such a delight to interact with. I highly recommend his work!
Kevin
Rated 5 out of 5
Even more beautiful in person! Amazing artist!!!
Edward
Rated 5 out of 5
As usual, Kenney's artwork is warm AND hot. I love the piece and it looks better in person than on the screen. Thanks!
jkarceski
Rated 5 out of 5
Amazing painting! Thank you! I love it!
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Nice price of art. Thanks.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
So happy I was able to purchase this treasure. Great addition to my collection. Marvelous artist.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Fantastic art and artist. Love.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Very nice quality and great artist.
Tyler
Rated 5 out of 5
Fantastic! Great artist. Collected his art for years. Postcards make it fun to share with others.
Art
Rated 5 out of 5
Another amazing painting to add to my Kenney Mencher collection. I look forward to getting it framed and adding it to my gallery wall.
Leslie
Rated 5 out of 5
I bet the original is amazing, I’m happy to have a copy for my wall. It’s great.
Morgan
Rated 5 out of 5
Kenny is the best! Love his work and he’s as kind as he is talented!
Edward
Rated 5 out of 5
I love, love, LOVE this painting! Thank you Kenney!
PoojiDung
Rated 5 out of 5
Beautiful art! I can’t believe I own it. Both paintings look even better in person. The piece “Vacation” Is larger than described (almost 6’ tall rather than the 5’ listed). Communication was fantastic, shipping was smooth, and delivery went off without a hitch. Seller included some small prints and documentation before the paintings could be shipped and also sent a personalized water color in advance. Thank you, Kenney!
KC
Rated 5 out of 5
Lovely print from Kenney Mencher. My only regret is not having been able to purchase the original!
