Brenda Stichter, artist

The last couple weeks have been a blur. I feel like I have been checking things off of my to-do list at a slightly slower pace than I have been adding more to the list! I have very much enjoyed the end of November, but I cannot EVEN believe that it is already December!  Sold 3" x 4" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame However, it has been so long since I have painted much - like, weeks! - that today my Beloved Husband suggested that I ignore my unfinished tasks and paint instead. He must love me, huh? I started working on several new works, and then finished two little pieces to share.  Thick texture and interference paint add a lot of interest to this little work. And, as usual, it is so much better in person.  I am looking forward to sharing the second painting tomorrow, and to spending a lot more studio time! See you then.

 Whew! We did it! Having worked hard at setting up our home for an in-person-but-only-by-appointment exhibit of my artwork, we tackled the unfamiliar ground of a virtual tour, hosted on Instagram Live! For about an hour, my Beloved Husband videoed my paintings and me. If you are on Instagram, you can find this Virtual Tour saved to IGTV and posted on my feed. The good news is, I was able (surprisingly) to figure out how to post the saved video to YouTube as well! So get your coffee and your most comfy slippers, and settle down to watch the show.  We didn't get everything right, of course - it was a steep learning curve for us - but I am pretty happy with the results of our work. The special code mentioned in the video, obviously, is no longer active on my website, but please contact me with questions or comments that you may have about any of the pieces we discussed. Also, please feel free to share the video with others! Click here to watch , and have a very happy Thanksgiving! P.S

Need a Little Christmas "For we need a little Christmas Right this very minute Candles in the window Carols at the spinet..." It will be a few days yet before we get our Christmas tree and decorations out, but I have to admit, I am feeling Christmas early this year, like so many seem to be. (Don't tell my Beloved Husband!) I have put Christmas music on my playlist and love seeing the Christmas lights already as we are out driving in the evening.  I kind of wonder what exactly it is that draws me to Christmas this year. It is different than most years for me, in that I am more interested in a 'traditional' Christmas than usual. I generally prefer unusual songs, decorations, and would rather wait a little longer before decorating and hearing the music of the season, but this year almost everything seems to remind me of Christmas.  I have noticed I see even two-story white farmhouses and country roads as Christmas-y and I feel an unfamiliar tug in my emotions.  NLA 6

  Abstract 026 diptych Sunday afternoon my Beloved Husband and I attended one of the very few live art events of this year, an artist reception and award ceremony. I was excited that my diptych, Abstract 026 was chosen as the first prize winner! The gathering was quite small, and we were all masked, and lots of protocols were in place to keep us as virus-free as possible.  SOLD 22"  x 44" for diptych Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on acid-free watercolor paper Framed in simple frames (For purchasing options, contact me.) Oh my goodness, it was so good to "talk shop" with a couple of the other artists! We talked about our businesses as artists, and how the pandemic has impacted us. As you probably would guess, the repercussions are broad and varied.  Abstract 026b (click here for original blog post  for this part of the diptych) One of the things I have decided to do as I try to combat the negative effects of the lock-downs is to offer an op

We kissed autumn goodbye in a fabulous way this weekend! The weather was so surprisingly pleasant, so we went camping right in our own woods. Of course, the trees are nearly bare, and the woods seems so small, but it was warm enough for just a jacket during the day, and so cold at night that the sleeping bags felt great! 10" x 8" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to purchase via my website. This week has been SO LOUD. US election news is almost inescapable. We have friends in both Honduras and Guatemala who have been impacted by Hurricane Eta, but have not heard much of their status because of 'stormy' news on all of the US news outlets.  This morning, I got up even earlier than usual to accompany my Beloved Husband to moooove cattle. (Get it?) On our way back toward home, we stopped in a church parking lot so that I could take a couple of photos, and he could clean s

Prayer. Petition. Peace. These have been the starting point for today's painting, which I am delighted to share! For months now, I have had a paper hanging on my studio wall, right next to my easel. "Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God , which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus ." Philippians 4:5 - 7  Several of these phrases have been important to me during these trying times.  Recently I have begun "activating my canvas" with words of hope (as you might have seen if you follow me on social media). A blank white canvas can be paralyzing to face, so many artists have different techniques for conquering that scary beast. Though I have used many different things to start getting a painting on the surface, I am sure loving using Bible phrases a

My computer is in the shop, and I am having a tough time getting all of my online work done using my Beloved Husband's computer! I feel like it shouldn't be so hard...  Over the weekend, while working sans computer, I painted another really fun little work that I called All Dressed Up. There are several things that the title brings to mind, and each seems to fit with the painting quite well. 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 or purchase via my website.  First, it is just such a fun painting, with colors and shapes that remind me of play. And it was fun to paint, believe me! What memories come to your mind when you think of dressing up?  I have my sister and brother in mind, and black and white photos of the three of us with my poor brother having been adorned as "the bride" by my sister and me. I don't remember a lot of dressing up as a