1994, Telephone, 25.25x29.25 inches oil on gallery wrapped canvas, by Kenney Mencher
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This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
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This is a painting I made in grad school, not long after I moved from California to Cincinnati. I had brought this yellow rotary phone with me—something I’d had since my time at UC Davis—and it became kind of a personal symbol for me. I remember sketching it over and over, thinking about how to bring it to life with color and texture. One night, I actually woke up around 3 a.m. from a dream about the color palette—yellows, pinks, purples, and greens—and how I could use directional brushstrokes to define the form of the phone. I left the house, rode my bike to the studio and started painting at 3:30 AM.
At the time, I was diving deep into color theory. I had a great teacher named John Stewart who really helped me understand how color triads and complements worked. I was also still very influenced by Wayne Thiebaud, who I used to see in the halls when I was finishing up at UC Davis. You can see some of that influence in the thick brushwork, built-up textures, and the bright, high-key palette.
The brushwork follows the shapes and planes of the phone and tabletop. I used stiff bristle brushes and layered the paint in heavy strokes, especially on the tabletop, to push the texture and play with movement across the surface. I also prepped this canvas myself using gesso mixed with calcium carbonate (which is basically marble dust). That gave the surface more tooth and made the brushstrokes pop, but over time and through multiple moves, the corners took a bit of a beating. It’s not pristine—the edges are worn and scuffed in spots, especially on the corners—but it’s had a long life, and for a 35-year-old painting, it’s still holding up well.
Stylistically, it’s a mix of realistic and abstract. The phone reads clearly, and there’s careful attention to shadow and perspective, but the space is flattened out and the colors are heightened. The tabletop tilts in an almost unnatural way, and the background is more of a color field than a realistic space. I wasn’t aiming for photorealism—I wanted it to feel vibrant and alive.
This piece is part of my Fresh Finds series. I'm digging into my archive and letting go of pieces that have traveled with me for decades. These works are part of my foundation as an artist. I want to share them now with collectors who’ve supported me along the way. This one has hung in different studios and homes over the years, and I’m proud of where it came from and how it still holds up.
Details
Title: Telephone
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: Approx. 28 x 29 inches
Year: 1993
Surface: Gallery wrapped canvas with painted edges
Frame: Not required
Condition: Some scuffs and wear on the corners due to age and handling; gesso mix with calcium carbonate has contributed to minor surface abrasion
Influences: Bay Area Figurative, especially Wayne Thiebaud, Elmer Bischoff, and Richard Diebenkorn
Surface texture: Heavy bristle-brush strokes, impasto areas, layered color
Subject: Rotary phone on patterned surface
Part of: “Fresh Finds” archive release
Ships from: Round Lake Beach, Illinois
ChatGPT said:
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 is a painting I made in grad school, not long after I moved from California to Cincinnati. I had brought this yellow rotary phone with me—something I’d had since my time at UC Davis—and it became kind of a personal symbol for me. I remember sketching it over and over, thinking about how to bring it to life with color and texture. One night, I actually woke up around 3 a.m. from a dream about the color palette—yellows, pinks, purples, and greens—and how I could use directional brushstrokes to define the form of the phone. I left the house, rode my bike to the studio and started painting at 3:30 AM.
At the time, I was diving deep into color theory. I had a great teacher named John Stewart who really helped me understand how color triads and complements worked. I was also still very influenced by Wayne Thiebaud, who I used to see in the halls when I was finishing up at UC Davis. You can see some of that influence in the thick brushwork, built-up textures, and the bright, high-key palette.
The brushwork follows the shapes and planes of the phone and tabletop. I used stiff bristle brushes and layered the paint in heavy strokes, especially on the tabletop, to push the texture and play with movement across the surface. I also prepped this canvas myself using gesso mixed with calcium carbonate (which is basically marble dust). That gave the surface more tooth and made the brushstrokes pop, but over time and through multiple moves, the corners took a bit of a beating. It’s not pristine—the edges are worn and scuffed in spots, especially on the corners—but it’s had a long life, and for a 35-year-old painting, it’s still holding up well.
Stylistically, it’s a mix of realistic and abstract. The phone reads clearly, and there’s careful attention to shadow and perspective, but the space is flattened out and the colors are heightened. The tabletop tilts in an almost unnatural way, and the background is more of a color field than a realistic space. I wasn’t aiming for photorealism—I wanted it to feel vibrant and alive.
This piece is part of my Fresh Finds series. I'm digging into my archive and letting go of pieces that have traveled with me for decades. These works are part of my foundation as an artist. I want to share them now with collectors who’ve supported me along the way. This one has hung in different studios and homes over the years, and I’m proud of where it came from and how it still holds up.
Details
Title: Telephone
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: Approx. 28 x 29 inches
Year: 1993
Surface: Gallery wrapped canvas with painted edges
Frame: Not required
Condition: Some scuffs and wear on the corners due to age and handling; gesso mix with calcium carbonate has contributed to minor surface abrasion
Influences: Bay Area Figurative, especially Wayne Thiebaud, Elmer Bischoff, and Richard Diebenkorn
Surface texture: Heavy bristle-brush strokes, impasto areas, layered color
Subject: Rotary phone on patterned surface
Part of: “Fresh Finds” archive release
Ships from: Round Lake Beach, Illinois
ChatGPT said:
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 is a painting I made in grad school, not long after I moved from California to Cincinnati. I had brought this yellow rotary phone with me—something I’d had since my time at UC Davis—and it became kind of a personal symbol for me. I remember sketching it over and over, thinking about how to bring it to life with color and texture. One night, I actually woke up around 3 a.m. from a dream about the color palette—yellows, pinks, purples, and greens—and how I could use directional brushstrokes to define the form of the phone. I left the house, rode my bike to the studio and started painting at 3:30 AM.
At the time, I was diving deep into color theory. I had a great teacher named John Stewart who really helped me understand how color triads and complements worked. I was also still very influenced by Wayne Thiebaud, who I used to see in the halls when I was finishing up at UC Davis. You can see some of that influence in the thick brushwork, built-up textures, and the bright, high-key palette.
The brushwork follows the shapes and planes of the phone and tabletop. I used stiff bristle brushes and layered the paint in heavy strokes, especially on the tabletop, to push the texture and play with movement across the surface. I also prepped this canvas myself using gesso mixed with calcium carbonate (which is basically marble dust). That gave the surface more tooth and made the brushstrokes pop, but over time and through multiple moves, the corners took a bit of a beating. It’s not pristine—the edges are worn and scuffed in spots, especially on the corners—but it’s had a long life, and for a 35-year-old painting, it’s still holding up well.
Stylistically, it’s a mix of realistic and abstract. The phone reads clearly, and there’s careful attention to shadow and perspective, but the space is flattened out and the colors are heightened. The tabletop tilts in an almost unnatural way, and the background is more of a color field than a realistic space. I wasn’t aiming for photorealism—I wanted it to feel vibrant and alive.
This piece is part of my Fresh Finds series. I'm digging into my archive and letting go of pieces that have traveled with me for decades. These works are part of my foundation as an artist. I want to share them now with collectors who’ve supported me along the way. This one has hung in different studios and homes over the years, and I’m proud of where it came from and how it still holds up.
Details
Title: Telephone
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: Approx. 28 x 29 inches
Year: 1993
Surface: Gallery wrapped canvas with painted edges
Frame: Not required
Condition: Some scuffs and wear on the corners due to age and handling; gesso mix with calcium carbonate has contributed to minor surface abrasion
Influences: Bay Area Figurative, especially Wayne Thiebaud, Elmer Bischoff, and Richard Diebenkorn
Surface texture: Heavy bristle-brush strokes, impasto areas, layered color
Subject: Rotary phone on patterned surface
Part of: “Fresh Finds” archive release
Ships from: Round Lake Beach, Illinois
