Brenda Stichter, artist

Waiting "Shall I schedule you for early next year?" "He is traveling on Christmas Eve." "What time does your shuttle arrive?" "Did you renew your passport?"  Whew. Not only did this season arrive way more quickly than I expected, but it is also much busier than I expected. And also, winter arrived all of a sudden. No sneaking up on me at all - just BANG! here it is! Maybe it is no surprise that my thoughts this year have been on the waiting and the longing for the coming of Jesus. The waiting is something that seems counter-cultural to me. We move so fast and are so tightly scheduled - even I am, and I am a stay at home artist/homemaker! And time seems to fly by.  But not when we are waiting for someone. No, not then.  Sold 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.  With more layers than I can cou

New Every Morning #12 Yesterday morning, I just couldn't sleep any longer. It was the end of a fabulous time of family being together, and of thankfulness. But it is never my favorite when it is time for the kids to go back to their own homes. (I know... you have heard me bemoan their leaving before.) But I guess the leaving is just a reminder that THEY CAME, right? I am also already thinking about the Christmas season. I have been considering my own (mostly uneducated) version of Advent - the anticipating and longing for the coming of Jesus Christ. Both of these things - the time with our children and the observation of Advent seem somehow related to me. Both of them remind me of a big, hollow longing inside. In both cases, I am waiting... waiting...  Sold 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. So yesterday morning, when I could not sleep, I got up early and painted

He Who is Mighty Has Done a Great Thing "He Who is mighty has done a great thing Taken on flesh, conquered death's sting Shattered the darkness and lifted our shame Holy is His name... Now my soul magnifies the Lord I rejoice in the God Who saves I will trust His unfailing love I will sing His praises all my days ." He Who Is Mighty, Sovereign Grace Musi c This is the song that has been going through my head as I have painted this painting. The concept of GOD Himself becoming one of His own creations in order to rescue us, the idea of His coming into our dark world, and the beauty of His grace to us all have overwhelmed me as I work to articulate with paint and canvas this Christmas gift to mankind.  36" x 36" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Click here to view on my website. Luke 1:46-49 (ESV) And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for

Incarnation III  "We would like to have a Church Family Visual Art Exhibit as a gift to Jesus, and to each other this Christmas season. Each person is invited and encouraged to bring a piece to exhibit. Please give this work of art the consideration due a gift!" This year for the first time there will be an art exhibit for Christmas at our church. My Beloved Husband and I are curating this exhibit, (collecting and hanging it, mostly) and I have been waiting to decide which of my paintings I want to use. I hope that there will be so many entries from those who attend that mine will be saved for a later exhibit!  With all of that being said, I painted this painting with Christmas in mind. I wanted to express the concept of GOD, the Creator of this world invading and disturbing our planet in order to free it.  Sold 9" x 12" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on canvas panel Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. One of t

November Cheer I am just returning from a week in MN, the state where I spent my high school years, went to college for a short time, and spent the first 10 years of my married life. My dear mother still lives there,  and I have the privilege of helping her with some new adventures in her life. Part of our time was spent choosing new paint colors. Mom put together a grouping of items that she loves and spread a pile of paint chips next to the group. "These colors just make me happy," she told me.  6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Click here to purchase on my website. On the way out of Mom's driveway one morning, she looked over at the bittersweet that is planted next to her mailbox. "I just love that," she said. "I am so glad we planted it there." We looked at the lake, the snow falling, the autumn colors that were almost past. We spent time at the church she atten

New Every Morning #11 In our area of Indiana, the last week was full of bad news. There were two horrific automobile accidents where people died, and then a day later an acquaintance of mine who had just arrived on the mission field with his large family was gunned down. I am still a little in shock from that event.  Last night, as has been the case for the last while, I woke during the night with a heavy heart. This time, I spent a long time praying for the people whose lives will never be the same after those terrible events.  This New Every Morning painting represents a bit of my thoughts of the darkness - maybe fog - that is so difficult to see through. Yet, there is hope.  Let me tell you something about Charles Wesco, the man who was killed on the mission field. Charles was a piano tuner who had come to my home at least once a year for the last 20 years or so. Charles was profoundly knowledgeable about and deeply engaged with piano tuning. He knew the facts and science