Brenda Stichter, artist

Be Mine As you can probably see, I am working ahead a bit. Well, sort of anyway! These will probably be hung either slightly 'mis-aligned' or mixed around. I hope to use them as Valentines for some people I love!  4 acrylic abstracts 6" x 6" panels NFS

Seek First Today I am thinking about the principle of putting aside worries and anxiety about many, many circumstances (weather, fuel prices, family and friends in need, world unrest, etc.) and putting these things in the hands of the One Who can care for each one of them. While I may be unable to help many in need (the CAR in Africa and unrest in the Ukraine, for example), I know Who can.  In the painting, there are busy, competing circles and colors, but my hope is that the overall composition is pleasing. I want to communicate the idea of presenting the busyness to the Master Artist, God the Creator, in order to have order and beauty come from from it all.  Here is the passage I am thinking about: Matthew 6:25 - 33 (AMP) Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater than food, and the body than clothing? ...

Blessed Last night my son and I went to pick my husband up when he returned from a 10 day trip to Honduras. We were up most of the night, and this girl is NOT used to going on no sleep! However, here is a painting reminding me where true blessing is found, even when I am struggling to stay awake and have a pleasant attitude! (By the way, it is WONDERFUL to have my husband back! I missed him so much!) Matthew 5:8 (NASB) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 (AMP) Blessed (happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous — possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! Different lighting and angle shows iridescence I will post two photos so that I can show the iridescent accents that don't show up when I photograph for color and texture.  6" x 6" acrylic on wat...

Fragrance Though very simple, this little painting is my  Day 27 challenge painting .  Once again, I really want to let the painting do the talking. As is so often the case, though, I wish the photo were a better representation!  The painting represents my thoughts while I was contemplating the New Testament book of  Hebrews chapter 9, and also this verse.  Psalm 141:2 (ESV) Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,     and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! 5.75" x 5.75" acrylic on panel Leave comment or contact me directly  to purchase.

Enclosed Today, once again, I am snowed in. It has been an interesting week - winter weather is definitely here. The thing is, it always seems to arrive when my husband is out of the country! (Not to worry, though. My son is taking care of digging me out!) My dear husband is in Honduras on a mission trip. He loves to go, and I have loved the uninterrupted time in the studio, but I am SO READY for him to be home again! This morning I enjoyed some time reading my Bible, and one of the passages that I was focussed on is  Psalm 139:4-6 (NASB) Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.  I know that sometimes the wording in this particular translation can seem awkward, but I love it. I think of being 'enclosed behind and before' like a hug. I know there are other significant meanings, but t...

Figure Sketch For the last several days I have been studying contemporary figure painting. I haven't worked a whole lot with the human figure since college, when 'Drawing II' was the human figure - along with other things! I always enjoyed that class, especially after I got past the shock of gesture drawings in under a minute! I loved the working with charcoal and conte.  So today I decided to try colored pencil on prepared watercolor paper. The texture is acrylic modeling compound, and I wasn't sure how colored pencil would work on it. Not too bad!  6" x 6" colored pencil and modeling compound on watercolor paper

Charade This little painting started out as a study for a larger work, and I am not at all sure yet whether it is still a 'study' or not. (One of the disadvantages of being a daily painter who posts or is part of a  30 in 30 painting challenge  is that we show the world our daily work, for better or worse.) I have called this painting 'Charade' because there is an image I want to work with here, but I don't want the image to be overt. I want there to be the beauty, but not necessarily the recognition. So I am practicing making that happen.  8" x 10"  mixed media on watercolor paper Leave comment or contact me directly  to purchase.

Playing Around Today I am just spending a lot of time playing in my studio, and it has been a blast! After running a lot of errands, I was fighting with a large painting on my easel, working on a 'study' for said painting, and I decided to use up some of the paint in play time!  Here is one of the results, 'Playing Around'. (Get it?) Yesterday I was reading in one of the books I got from my son for Christmas. (I got 5 great books from him and from my husband, and have started reading a couple of them.) This book is The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis, a collection of some of his speeches and/or essays.  I have really been surprised how some of the books I got have tied in with my pursuit of learning to paint. In the essay titled 'Learning in War Time' in this book, I learned a lot, in spite of not being part of WWII as Lewis and his readers were. Here is one quote that I really enjoyed from this essay.  "I mean the pursuit of knowledge and beauty...

The Great Divide This little 6 x 6 painting practically painted itself. I was thinking of a song by Sovereign Grace called 'the Great Divide', and a passage from the New Testament book of Romans as I painted it. Also, the wandering of God's people in the wilderness seemed to tie in...  Romans 8:1-4 (NASB) Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. SOLD 5" x 5" mixed media (acrylic)  on watercolor paper

Hebrews This painting seems almost like a piece of jewelry! The textures and colors are exhilarating, and the sparkle of natural mica and iridescent accent paint make me want to look at this one over and over again. In fact, usually I blog with my painting on the easel behind me, but today I brought it over to my desk to look at. :) The New Testament book of Hebrews has held my attention for the last couple of days, and I am attempting to represent some of the things I love about this book. I love the complexity of the writing style of the author, and the contrast of the way things were before Christ, the Messiah, and after He died and rose again. I love the ideas of growth, strength, royalty and humanity. Gel and modeling compounds, along with heavy gesso make up the first layers of texture, and hold the first of the natural mica flakes. Though it is difficult to see here, the colors blend together to make a rich third color. I used gloss medium to affix another layer of mica ...

Covered As I get back into my studio again, I have painted an image that is deeply personal and meaningful to me - particularly today.  Circumstances this morning led to deep introspection as I spent time in prayer and Bible reading. I read quite a few passages, and I want to respond. Again today, I will need to let the painting say a lot of what I don't have words for. First, I left the torn edges of the watercolor paper in the photo intentionally, because I feel that they help express the meaning of the entire painting. (Won't that be fun to frame! :) ) It is a very simple painting, a simple composition (sometimes called portrait composition), and a simple color scheme.  There are wandering sgraffito marks on most of the surrounding area of the main figure.  Each of those things was chosen with the intent to communicate, and I hope that some of the language of my soul is communicated here as well.  SOLD 8" x 10"  acrylic on watercolor paper L...

Zephaniah I am so surprised to be painting about the Old Testament book of Zephaniah! I have certainly not spent a lot of time reading this book, and did not expect to find inspiration here.  I wanted to suggest both water and promise, wildness and rainbows.  Here are a few things I am trying to figure out... Is this painting better with a horizontal orientation or vertical? (See pictures further down on this post...) And does the second swirly shape draw too much away from the focal point?  I looked at this picture in black and white, and I love it that way, too, so maybe my next painting will be a black and white one. :) 24" x 30"  acrylic on panel Click here to view or purchase on my website.  Comment or contact me to purchase.  vertical? black and white?

Nahum Today I had the GREAT priviledge of painting with my Lovely Studio Companion , and helping her attempt a painting of her own. (She doesn't paint, nor consider herself an artist. She usually does crafts while I paint.) What a treat to share something I love so much with someone I love so much!  As I read Nahum this morning, I felt almost like I was reading the description of a painting! Well, an abstract painting, of course! I was strongly influenced by the idea of the LORD tearing off shackles of oppression, of HIS jealous care of his people, (to whom HE is a stronghold), and then the colorful image of the enemies dashing around in confusion.  Nahum 1:2 NASB  2 A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power... 7 The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who tak...

Answer Me Today is Day 7 of the painting challenge , and I have managed to do 4 paintings so far this month - more than I had thought I would be able to do at the beginning of this year! Of course, it doesn't hurt to be 'weathered in', to use an aviation term my dad used to use. :) 'Answer Me' is done with modeling paste and acrylics in an effort to express thoughts about the foundations of life on earth, and of the spiritual reality that is surrounding and supporting it. I know. Pretty abstract. I want to convey the strength that is there, behind the faulty, man made structure. The bigger truth.  A passage that added to my thoughts this morning was  Micah 6:2-3 (ESV) Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord,     and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people,     and he will contend with Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you?     How have I wearied you? Answer me! I wish...

Jonah Today is day four of the 30 day painting challenge  that I am doing along with a BUNCH of other artists. Although I am unable to paint every day, I am enjoying being part of the challenge, and seeing the work of a lot of other artists.  This painting is based on Jonah 1:4 and 2:3, which speaks of stormy seas. I have never been on the ocean during a storm, so I did some google research to see what it might look like. I watched some videos and looked at some photos, and started to feel a little seasick. (Well, maybe not really. ;) )  One thing I noticed is that the horizon is always changing during a storm at sea - it is not 'horizontal' very often. I would think that that is one of the more disconcerting parts of being there. Also, it is dark and difficult to distinguish the difference between sky and water. While I don't want to try to represent a storm realistically, I do hope to represent the unsettling feeling - maybe even the fear of being there.  ...

Grace Day 2 of the painting challenge with Leslie Saeta, and I am so glad to be able to paint for today!  Today I am working with a 'new' paint set that I got at Art of the Carolinas in November. I find it so challenging to work with colors and a slightly different texture of the paint. It definitely responds differently, too. It keeps me aware that I am still a beginner! :) This painting is based on  Hebrews 2:9 (AMP) But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for every individual person. 8" x 10" acrylic on watercolor paper

Alabaster Jar Happy New Year! I look forward to new adventures, new growth and learning, and new love for my family, my LORD, and His other children. It is great to be back in the studio (and I think I say that every time I have been unable to paint for a while!), and I am excited to be participating in Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 painting challenge  again!  I have had a really tough time choosing a theme for this challenge, and I also do not expect to be able to do all 30 paintings, but I am off and running today. :)   This painting is based on  Mark 14:3 (AMP) "And while He was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining, a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment (perfume) of pure nard, very costly and precious; and she broke the jar and poured [the perfume] over His head." I love to think about the costly, lavish gift given by a lowly (in that culture) woman. I like that she poured it all out, breaking the jar and saving none...