Brenda Stichter, artist

Reinvigorating This morning, for the first time in quite a while, I got to spend time in my chair by my big windows reading my Bible and praying. I am sure this may seem trite, or maybe "holier-than-thou" to some, but I needed that time so desperately! The feeling of my soul expanding and the dry cracks filling with living water from God's Word is almost a physical feeling. The anxieties of overactive imagination and under-active faith begin to melt away when I 'hear' His voice.    12" x 12" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Click here to purchase via my website. A cruciform (shaped like a cross) composition is the starting point on this one, and the warm yellow, orange, and reds are welcome this chilly, gray January. My favorite parts of this painting are the details in the orange and yellow. The strong color and contrast in the focal point  are fun, too, but I am just drawn to the more

Today's blog post is different from my usual posts, for two reasons. First, my Beloved Husband has undergone significant shoulder surgery, and we are both exhausted with keeping up with pain control and all of the other things that go along with that. We have had good medical care, and kind friends praying and reaching out to help us, and we are so grateful. But, I must admit, we are tired too.  (All of you who have been through this sort of thing can no doubt identify with us!) The second reason is a lot more fun! I have been invited to exhibit with two other artists in a beautiful gallery space in Warsaw, IN called 'the gallery at rua'. I have had work there before, and it was a really delightful experience. The curator does beautiful work on the exhibits and the promotion, and the receptions are so pleasant. I would highly recommend you come to the artist reception Friday, February 7, 6:00 - 8:00. The exhibit is called 'the texture of color', and these tw

Magenta, For Heaven's Sake My son came to our house over Thanksgiving this winter, and I got to pick him up from the airport in Indianapolis. I love picking him up, because then we have a good chunk of time to catch up before his visit gets crazy with friends and so on. As I drove out of the "arrivals" area of the airport, I got a message from a potential client wanting large, colorful abstract paintings. Right up my alley, right? (Just so you aren't too worried about my driving habits, my son helped me answer the messages on my phone. I just drove.) I found that I only had one large painting available, and I knew that gave me reason to start painting more large works. So right after Thanksgiving I started on this painting.  48" x 48" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Click here to purchase via my website. You know, I couldn't get it right! I knew I had reason to paint this large, colorf

New Every Morning #33 As I drove to and from a venue about an hour from here, I listened to a book that I had borrowed from the library. (Can I just tell you how much I love being able to digitally borrow books, both for my Kindle and also for listening? It is such a great way to try resources to see whether I want to purchase them!) I got through the introduction and one and a half chapters, and I loved what I was hearing. It made me want to get to my studio and paint something beautiful!  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. Sadly, my time was way too short today, so I just put finishing touches New Every Morning #33 that I started yesterday. I didn't even make any progress on the larger pieces I have waiting in my studio and also in my family room! (My studio is my daughter's old bedroom, and is way too small for painting my bigger paintings, so I have

"Did you paint today?" I get this question a lot, and much of the year, I can answer "yes" almost every weekday. The practice of painting (almost) every day started almost 10 years ago for me, and when I keep at it, I learn a lot and my paintings are better and come more easily. But when I have been away for a while, (or am struggling with other issues) it can be SO VERY DIFFICULT to get back to painting abstracts - especially abstracts that I consider to be good ones! 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 painting is one of my daily paintings - paintings that I complete in one day, for the most part - and it expresses some of the things I have been wrestling with. The painting is blue, to start with. I love blue, as you know if you have followed me for long. But I have been feeling the weight of many things these last few weeks in parti