Brenda Stichter, artist

How Long? I am watching the sky. The colors and patterns and shapes are invigorating, but… There is a hole in the cloud where the bottom seems to be falling through. It made me say Wow, Lord.  I leaned over in my chair, and saw blazing neon orange crashing through the black tree line. Is it coming? Is the sun coming up? The colors back there behind the woods are spectacular. They seem to promise an immanent sunrise. Now?  There is a jet stream that is cutting through the thick layer of cloud, and virga is falling from the slash. The color and morning are so much more intense when I step outside. The grass is crispy white and my feet are cold where the holes in my crocs let in the autumn air. Is there going to be a sunrise?? It is just taking too long – this waiting. And what if there is no sunrise? 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. Well, it rose. It rose again...

This Time Before Winter Autumn is such a beautiful season here where the leaves change color, and so does the sky. The air is crisp and the texture of the grasses and bony arms of the trees spur imagination! It feels so short, to me, this time before winter. I try to pack in outdoor walks and time in our woods before the trail is covered in snow or (even worse) slushy water. Is it my favorite season? I don't know.  6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. Have you noticed there seems to be an expectancy, almost a teetering-on-the-edge feeling in the autumn? Or maybe it is just me. And somehow, at least this year, it seems much bigger than just "will it be a tough winter?" or "Christmas is right around the corner".  Interestingly, my Bible reading has been in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, and at night, my Beloved Husband and I have been reading in...

New Every Morning #10 "There is a hole that's been dug under the pasture fence," I told my Beloved Husband this evening. I started the morning out with a long walk in our woods, and it was just beautiful! In fact, the sky was so intriguing to me that I have 'accidentally' painted it in a more representational style than I usually want to.  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.  I have told you before how I can get distracted by the beauty in the sky, haven't I? It was such a welcome sight! We have had a couple of tough days around here. You know, nothing huge, just discouragement, disappointment and drudgery. (Like fixing a hole under the pasture fence...) The gorgeous sky and this verse from the Old Testament both were comforting to me. The passage in Isaiah talks about GOD coming to the rescue of His people in historical context, but the...

Peace Be Still "He needs a tool I have in my van," said my Beloved Husband as he checked his schedule with mine this morning. He has been loving the opportunity to help his friend with the harvest this year, and I love that he can do it! They have been rained out a few times, and I would guess that it is not uncommon to have rainy days when it is time to get the crops in, but since we are not farmers, I rarely pay a lot of attention to how many days it rains. In fact, I love rainy days.  As we were looking at our weather apps on our phones this morning, though, to check whether it was supposed to rain today, I scrolled past a couple of videos showing damage from the hurricanes that have hit the United States this fall. Wow. Such extreme devastation.  NLA 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. Mark 4:39 “And he awoke and rebuked the w...

Overflowing Hope I am revisiting an older painting today while I work on bigger paintings in my studio, and prepare for three (!) upcoming events. Overflowing Hope has been a favorite for a long time. I painted it in 2013 when I was learning so many new techniques, composition concepts, and color combinations. I was less aware, at that point, how my thoughts could sometimes just "magically" appear when I was painting. (And to tell the truth, I suspect it happened less frequently then because my learning curve was so steep!)  SOLD 24" x 36" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on hand-made, prepared wood panel Ready to frame Click here to view on my website.  Romans 15:13 (AMP) May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Some things are still meaningful to me about this painting (I would hope so!) such as the...

All Things New II With two kids in seminary, (Stichterminarians, as they call themselves!) I am getting lots of opportunities to rethink things that I think I know. I am being constantly encouraged to return to the Bible to research whether my beliefs are founded there, or are sort of just a traditional belief. I actually love that! I love having to think critically about things, and see whether they logically and theologically are sound. I love the research and wrestling with thoughts that are huge.  6" x 6" 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. Revelation 21:4-5 (ESV) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this d...

All Things New It's a wonderful problem to have, really. I have had to scramble a couple of times lately to make sure I have some paintings to replace works that have sold from the current exhibit of my work that is hanging at 'the gallery at rua' in Warsaw, IN. I have needed to find the right shape and size to fill particular spots, and it has caused me to revisit old paintings looking for gems that I may have overlooked.  This morning, I found some 'new' paintings by reclaiming, cropping, and reworking some of my older paintings that I have loved, but that have not sold. I found that by working with the old, I have been able to come up with something that is just right for what I need - I am making these old paintings new.  6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to purchase on my website. I really love the fact that this process has allo...

Morning Prayer This weekend, my Beloved Husband took me out for breakfast, but we had to drive separately so that he could go on to 'play farmer' and I could return home to paint. So he turned out of the driveway ahead of me, then it was my turn to join the traffic and point toward town. As I turned out from our tree lined drive, I saw the magnificent sky. Oh my goodness! The colors of the sunrise, the shapes and movement of the scattered clouds, the blues and whites and grays... I nearly drove right off the road because I was so distracted by the beauty of the sky. (Not the first time I have been that distracted, I must admit.)  It was so pleasant to spend the time with my BH. He works early most days, so it is uncommon for us to have that kind of morning. I returned home and headed right to my chair where I regularly read my Bible and meet with my Heavenly Father. Color and quiet joy were on my mind as I opened to the Old Testament book of Isaiah.  Isaiah 12:4 “...

Harvest I guess seasons could be a unifying theme to my thoughts today. My Beloved Husband is helping our friend with the harvest - playing is how he looks at it. But we have a family member who is a diesel mechanic, and I think that he wishes there were three of himself during this time of year, when he is called on to keep the farmers' tractors running AND harvest his own crops! And he and his wife just had a baby, just to keep life interesting.  This season of life will pass him by more quickly than he can imagine.  8" x 8" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Click here to see on my website. To my surprise, one of the passages I read in my Bible this morning seems to speak to these things, too. I had focused on the juxtaposition of light and dark in the verses, but joy, harvest, and 'multiplying the nation' are in there too! I do think this little painting suggests both the light and dark contras...