Brenda Stichter, artist

Exit the Traffic Circle Well, let that be a lesson to me! Earlier today, before allowing myself to get so distracted, I knew just what I wanted to say about this painting. And now I am stuck as I try to remember, so this may be a very scattered blog post! My gut says I wanted to express the swirling doubts, the crazy backdrop of life as I /people live it these days. But how does it pull together? 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. For one thing, the painting makes me feel a tiny bit claustrophobic. But also, there are things that show that an artist painted it, not a 6 year old. The repetition in all quadrants, the cruciform or grid composition, the curves and colors in all quadrants.  The row of 5 squares draws the eye as the focal point, even if it is not in it's usual placement. Hmm. Not in it's usual placement.  It is so very busy t...

A Touch of Spring I just got back inside after taking a walk in my woods - the first one in weeks! It has been so wet here, and part of the trail has been under water. I have enjoyed my walks in other places, (including my treadmill where I have been watching Hogan's Heroes reruns - what fun!), but there is just nothing quite like my own woods. Over the years, I have become very familiar with the whole 8 or 10 acres that is part of our property, but today it seemed somewhat unfamiliar. Every spring seems to bring new things there, but this year... 4" x 4" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep cradled wood panel Edges painted black Click here to view on my website.  I do think that the huge gash that was cut into the woods a couple of years ago (due to an easement) is beginning to impact the whole plot in different ways; some are helpful and some not so much. But on the positive side, the single dogwood tree back there was glorious today! This i...

Abstracted River View The other day, I went to paint en plein air again, and started painting a lovely river scene. It was absolutely beautiful outside, with blue skies and puffy clouds and a lot of wind. (I had to keep my toe on the stand so that my painting wouldn't blow over.) Just a short time into my painting time, I heard a noise... then again... thunder! I was thankful to be near a place of shelter, and quickly started moving inside. But then I had to try to finish my painting without seeing the river in front of me, and that just did not work! I did my best to finish, but was not happy with the resulting painting, so I decided to paint over it.  I had been wanting to try to paint a completely abstracted landscape from life or from a photo, and I decided this was a good opportunity. And honestly, I love the result.  7" x 5" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on canvas panel Ready to frame  Click here to view on my website. Philippians 4:4 Rejo...

Reflecting Our area in northern Indiana has seen some significant flooding in this last week or two. It has caused some of the places where I like to walk to be closed and has made some roads impassable, and some homes have water issues.  This painting was inspired by a photo from a walk my Beloved Husband and I took a few weeks ago in a nearby county where there is a relatively easy walk back to a dam on a (usually) small river. It is one of our favorite places to walk. We haven't checked it in the last few days - I wonder if it is flooded too! 4" x 4" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep cradled wood panel Edges painted black Click here to view on my website.  This is another very small palette knife painting. I have been enjoying working so small, and working with the knife because it helps me to suggest a landscape without getting too persnickety about mark making and detail. I love to paint enough to be "representational" while ...

Lellow Flowehs This morning I shared a photo of this painting, asking for input, and I received the sweetest reply! "Lellow Flowehs," and "I have it on good authority that that is a picture of flowers and trees and it's a nice picture." A little three-year-old person, who I have never met, is evidently a brilliant art critic! Ha! I think highly of their perspicacity, don't you? 4" x 4" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep cradled wood panel Edges painted black Click here to view on my website. 

Those Rays Though! It has been a very busy couple of weeks around here, and I finally had a painting day! One thing about that though, and I may have told you this before, is that it is so difficult to get back into the flow of painting when I have been out of the studio. This morning, I varnished a painting, entered a competition and show, looked over another couple of competitions that I may be entering, updated my expenses sheet... all kinds of busy work, BUT I WASN'T PAINTING. I think all of those things are valuable, but I really wanted to be painting.  4" x 4" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep cradled wood panel Edges painted black Click here to view on my website.  Finally, I decided that I would have to start with something easy and appealing, so I chose to paint two tiny landscape paintings. (I am only sharing one today, until I decide whether I will be adding anything to the other one before sharing.) This little palette knife pai...

Before the Rocks Cry Out Here is another tiny painting, and here is the Scripture passage for the title.  Luke 19:40  He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out!” 4" x 4" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep cradled wood panel Edges painted black Click here to view on my website.  Today I "met" a new musician (through a podcast) by the name of John Van Deusen. Makers & Mystics is a podcast I used to listen to religiously, but have recently let go of, so it was a delight to find something I loved so much as I listened. I was so drawn to the musician during his interview that I looked up some of his music, and I shared it with my musician son.  As the podcast conversation progressed, I was struck by how much the artist loves Jesus, and yet his music does not fit into a typical "Christian music" mold. At all. I really loved that.  He talked about liking his own work, and about making music ...