Brenda Stichter, artist

NEM #5 Actually painted a couple of days ago, this painting surprised me with the way the colors work together. I liked it before I expected to be finished with it! The cruciform composition I have been working with seems to encourage creativity in me, as does working with such small sizes. I love practicing with the transparent "modern color theory" paint, and combining it with the iridescents, as I did here. 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame I have been (between errands, Open House prep, and still being a bit under the weather) working on finishing an Easter painting that I hope to release tomorrow. For Easter in 2016, I released a series of three paintings that I still consider to be some of my most meaningful work to date. I wanted to work on a painting that would go with that series - hoping that I can paint the Easter morning painting to be even more expressive than the first one was

New Every Morning #4 So far, I have liked the warm-up paintings I have been doing. I hope you have liked them too! I think that the ones that I decide to keep (as opposed to painting over them) will look nice as a series, don't you? 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

New Every Morning #3 Here is this morning's warm-up painting. I am afraid it is a little bit tough to tell, but this is a very colorful painting! I had to get moving on it right away today because I was the docent at a local art center all day today.  SOLD 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame I am really loving the freedom of these morning paintings. It is so helpful to know what I plan to do FIRST when I go to the studio. It really seems to get the creativity moving so I can work on the bigger works.  Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

New Every Morning #2 Here is this morning's warm up painting, New Every Morning #2. This one has a lot of iridescent paint and was terribly difficult to photograph!  Sold 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." NEM #2 with oranges

New Every Morning "I think that is a good idea, because when you get so busy with the internet,  planning for your open house , and  laundry , you're not painting," said my Beloved Husband this morning during our time on the couch before he left for work. I had just been telling him some thoughts I have had about rearranging my days, and having more time with a brush in hand. I tell you, I am so grateful for a husband who WANTS me to be painting. What a blessing! 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Click here to purchase via my website.  This little almost-landscape is part of the result of that conversation this morning. Today I chose to get into the studio before doing so many of the other things that call me, and do a warm-up painting before moving on to the bigger, more involved works. Most of the time I work on studies and paintings in the afternoon after I do the 'urgent' thing

Drink From a Clear Spring "If I bring supper home, can we work on taxes tonight?" asked my Beloved Husband. Argh. You know, I can handle paperwork most of the time, but I hate it when it keeps me out of the studio! Rats! But today, I think I outdid myself. I am surprising him by having the taxes almost done before he gets home. I worked my tail off this morning (did you even know I had a tail?) and got it mostly done, and even had time to paint this afternoon. Yee-haw! 20" x 20" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame A project I have been working on has required me to think more about natural beauty as expressed by my abstract paintings. Of course, I love an abstract landscape painting - you might have heard me say that before - but I mean the ways I represent the beauty of nature that are not as recognizable. It has been a mental exercise that has been very rewardin

Oldest Granddaughter This is a copy cat blog post from my last post. Gotta keep at this project while I feel the inspiration for it! This time, though, I am posting a work in progress. (WIP) I have photos of each of my siblings in easy chairs with their oldest grandchildren sleeping. I LOVE these photos! And since next month's challenge for an art association I am part of is to paint a portrait, I decided it is a great time to get started on Christmas gifts... don't you agree?    This painting is, of course, not for sale, but it is 22" x 30" on 300 lb. Fabriano watercolor paper that has been gesso-ed with lots of texture. I knew that my portraits would not look at all like the one from the demo, which was beautiful, lifelike, and very recognizable. 

Bruce & Liam I have photos of each of my siblings in easy chairs with their oldest grandchildren sleeping. I LOVE these photos! And since next month's challenge for an art association I am part of is to paint a portrait, I decided it is a great time to get started on Christmas gifts... don't you agree?  I think maybe this is the perfect way to end the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge from Leslie Saeta.  This painting is, of course, not for sale, but it is 22" x 30" on 300 lb. Fabriano watercolor paper that has been gesso-ed with lots of texture. I knew that my portraits would not look at all like the one from the demo, which was beautiful, lifelike, and very recognizable.  I will attach a photo of my brother and his grandson so you can see how I did. :) 

Substance of Things Hoped For This painting has been on the easel for quite a while, and I have been working on it almost every day. It is experimental, as many of my paintings are, and I am liking some of the surprising nuances I get with it. I am including two photos, because I have been having such a tough time getting both the color and the focus at the same time. So, of course, my choice for the first post is the accurate color choice!  36" x 36" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Click here to purchase from my website.  The composition of this piece came from watching undulating shadows on our family room wall during the night. It was very difficult to see what caused the shapes, and it was difficult to capture the feeling of it, but it was beautiful to me, and comforting at the same time. I have revisited that spot across from our couch several nights now, and the shapes are still there, though I cannot s