Brenda Stichter, artist

Today I am posting one more of my recent paintings that started as a series that was inspired by the Disney movie Up. Well, it was actually inspired by friends who were inspired by the movie Up, but that gets a bit long-winded, so...  Sold 11" x 14" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame The paintings from this series can be viewed on my website here.  This painting really makes me want to follow that colorful path back to where it originates. In fact, I think it makes me feel a bit homesick for that place that I have never been. Know that feeling? It reminds me of this song that I sang as part of a quartet when I was a teenager, This is Why I Want to Go . 

Prone to Wander "Nice, I found my eyes meandering the entire space repeatedly... so I think you were successful!" My friend Sandi teaches art, and I always appreciate her input on my paintings. She has an eye for artistic principles and can usually spot it if I have overlooked something. This painting is one that has been reworked over and over again - do you feel like you have heard that story a few times? I started working on it while I was practicing daily paintings, and I had several that were all in the same color family and composition. Working this way is a good way to help me develop skills, learn to work with new media, and it can help me get out of a slump sometimes.  SOLD 11" x 14" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to view on my website.  The title, Prone to Wander, is appropriate in a couple ways lately. For one thing, when I am busy with

Submissions to Infinite Grace workshop As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have an incredible opportunity coming up in August. I have been accepted (one of 15 artists) to attend an artist's workshop and retreat with Makoto Fujimura ! I can still hardly believe that I am one of the ones who has been accepted. In fact, I was so surprised that I had been accepted that I had to rearrange another art commitment that I had scheduled that conflicted with the timing of this trip. So maybe you can understand when I say I am a little worried that I will be out of my depth! This, my friends, is the big league in my opinion, and somehow I am part of it! So I am asking you - if you are a praying person, will you   pray for me?  I am recognizing, too, that outside of my comfort zone is just where I need to be, and I expect to LOVE this retreat! I expect renewed thinking and focus, and maybe you will see better and better paintings coming from this time, too.  Here is a collage of the

Iron Sharpens Iron " We would like to inform you that your image,  Iron Sharpens Iron  has been selected for use in the  2018-19  Christian Seasons Calendar as the cover image. Congratulations!" This was the first line of an exciting email I received a few weeks ago.  I have had a couple of happy things lately, and I just could hardly wait to share them with you!  The Christian Seasons calendar is a "liturgical calendar for the Christian year" published in Canada. Artists from around the world have art in the current edition, and I feel honored to be part of such an interesting project! When it is released, I will let you know here on my blog.  Iron Sharpens Iron is now sold, but you may see it   on my website here .  24" x 36" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on gallery wrapped canvas Ready to frame In the Beginning - part of my workshop application Another great email made my day earlier this week: " We are please

So You Would Come "I didn't think I would make it through that last chorus," my brother admitted to me. We had the privilege of singing a duet at my mother's church when we were visiting her in MN, and we both broke down at the last phrase of the song. There were several reasons we couldn't finish as we would have wanted to, including the fact that we haven't sung a duet since - high school? I was moved by many things as I practiced, so I really tried to steel myself, but when he lost it... well, you know!  SOLD 11" x 14" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to view on my website.   Philippians 1:6 HCSB "I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." This painting is part of a series I started when friends of ours stayed in our home as they prepare to go to th

"Would you pray about that?" a woman in our church service asked my Beloved Husband as he finished leading songs. She had just heard about a serious accident that injured a man who is known by many in our congregation. His injuries are life-threatening, and even if he recovers, his life will never be the same.  This morning brought him to mind again as I read an excerpt from a C. S. Lewis book, Mere Christianity. "But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life... whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect...  And yet... this Helper who will, in the long run, be satisfied with nothing less than absolute perfection, will also be delighted with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make tomorrow to do the simplest duty. As a great Christian writer (George MacDonald) pointed out, every father is pleased at the baby's first att