Brenda Stichter, artist

Not Lose Heart This painting surprised me! As I was working on yesterday's discipline of a painting a black and white painting, I 'wiped my brush' on a prepared panel. I often do since I love the textures that come from built up layers of paint - not to mention the 'happy accidents' that happen! I was loving the softness and black and white contrast I was developing on the panel, and decided to save it and mull it over for a while. I thought I wanted to add some kind of very soft color accents. This morning, I thought of trying to paint a rainbow and maybe some sky. In my studio, I have large crystals hanging in the window. I have loved this idea ever since I read the book Pollyanna as a child - I stole her idea. :) Anyway, this painting looks like many of my paintings do when the refractions from the window swing over them.  NLH; vertical, different lighting A verse that comes to my mind when I am looking at this is  Galatians 6:9 (NASB) "L...

Abstract 006 Playing with the use of black and white with one added color - in this case 'Luminous Opera' by Holbein - was the plan for the day. I think maybe I should call this either Nessie or Pink Flamingo now that I look at it. (*wink)  On another bright note, today I was able to go for a walk to our woods - it is so cold that the drifts have become very hard, and I could walk on top of them, and across the ice on the pond to get there. The snow in the woods, though, was too soft to go through without better boots!  The next two weeks look to be SO busy; I sure hope I will be able to paint and post, but it may not happen.  8" x 10"  acrylic on watercolor paper Leave comment or contact me directly  to purchase

For the Sake Today I am painting with a sample set of acrylics - SOHO yellow ochre, permanent red, and phthalo blue. It is always challenging for me to work out the color when it is a new kind or color of paint.  My verse for this painting, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, is  Matthew 5:10 (NASB) “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The painting actually has some similarity to the painting I called  Kingdom , since in both cases, the blessing given is the kingdom of heaven.   THIS PAINTING IS SOLD

Flowers (ACEO) We have actually had a couple of days of sunshine around here, and it makes me think that spring may eventually make an appearance! That would be fabulous! Flowers is an ACEO, acrylic on watercolor paper with deckled edges. Isn't it a fun little painting? So cheerful!  3.5" x 2.5 " acrylic on watercolor paper Leave comment  to purchase 

Peacemakers As I continued with my self-assigned project of painting the 'Blessed' parts from the Sermon on the mount, I arrived at this one:  Matthew 5:9 (NASB) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." I am not sure why, but this has never been a favorite with me. Maybe because I am an oldest child? (Bossy, maybe?) So it was a challenge for me to express the idea at first.  In this painting, the red and green are complementary colors on opposite sides of the painting.  "When placed next to each other, [complementary colors] create the strongest contrast..."   according to Wikipedia. I think of these colors as complete opposites, fighting with each other. The introduction of the yellow between them is intended to communicate a dissimilar concept entirely; something that unifies or consolidates the whole. The 'peace' in the painting is brought about by moving the focus from the opposing points to a clear, new position.  ...

Hoo De Hoo "Hoo-de-hoo"! My mother had a friend who was well beyond retirement age who would go outside early in the morning on a February day and shout "hoo-de-hoo" to welcome spring. Of course, since both of them lived in Minnesota, spring was still far away in February! But I am pretty sure both Mom and her friend were hoping that the call would encourage spring to come a little bit earlier. I must admit, I am hoping for spring to arrive sometime soon, too! This acrylic painting is 3' x 4', and is textured and brightly colored! The pink color is a fluorescent pink - Holbein's Luninous Opera heavy body acrylic.  NLA 3' x 4' abstract acrylic on panel

Mercy Matthew 5:7 (NASB) “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." The main thought on my mind as I was thinking about mercy was about one small act of mercy from me bringing about great mercy from GOD.  I had been thinking about this "Blessed" statement from the Sermon on the Mount, and then read the parable of a servant who owed a huge debt to a king. (Matthew 18:23 - 35) At the pleading of the servant, the king forgave him - showed him mercy. But the servant went out and did not forgive the debt of a fellow servant, even though in comparison, it was a tiny debt. He did not show mercy and received punishment.  Similarly, how can I refuse forgiveness - how can I hold a grudge - when I have been forgiven so much? SOLD  

Satisfied 'Satisfied' is the next in my paintings based on the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament book of Matthew.  I chose to use warm colors with the idea of warmth and comfort. I guess that is what seems satisfying to me while we are in a particularly cold and snowy winter here in the Midwest!  I wanted to communicate both the idea of reaching upward and of flowing downward at the same time. My favorite compositional framework, too, seemed to fit well with the idea of hungering and thirsting for righteousness.  I like that there is a lot of room to play around with layering, splattering, removing color, glazing, sgrafitto, and just enjoying the characteristics of the paint in this painting.  The painting is on an 11" x 14" watercolor paper, and the image is about 9.5" x 12.5".  Matthew 5:6 (NASB) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Or in another version:  Matthew 5:6 (AMP) ...

Earth Today I am working on a commission (yes!) and also trying to do a daily painting, and also trying to rescue a large painting that doesn't seem to want to cooperate with me! It has been interesting, and fun, for the most part. I have a girl in my extended family who is handicapped. She will probably always have the mind of a kindergartener, and she is 19 now. Although she cannot learn to read, and she has a tough time getting along in 'society', she has a very interesting, gentle way with animals. At least, with chickens! At one time, there was a chicken on the farm that had no legs, and it was pecked and pestered by the other chickens. This meek, gentle girl had a way with this bird, though. It was her favorite.  I always think of her when I read this verse. Matthew 5:5 (NASB) “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." Or, in another translation: Matthew 5:5 (AMP) "Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous with ...

Comfort I have given myself a series to work on based on the Sermon on the Mount found in the New Testament book of Matthew. This is the second "blessed" given there, but the third of my paintings.  Matthew 5:4 (NASB) “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." I had a tougher time coming up with the concept for this painting, but the other morning I realized that tears would be a powerful expression of mourning, so I attempted to communicate that with my paint. Then for the idea of comfort, I wanted a rocking or cradling concept. I chose warm colors to indicate comfort, and cool ones for the mourning teardrops. (Even though at times, mourning can feel blistering hot!) As I talked to my husband that morning about the concepts for this painting, he was saying something about 'blessed' meaning lucky or fortunate. At first, I could not follow his thoughts at all. But then I recognized the idea of being in an enviable place in life. It st...

Yet (ACEO) It has been quite a long time since I did any ACEO paintings, and I decided to paint one today. I recycled a larger failed painting by overpainting and then found parts that I really like to work with and make into a more finished painting. This little painting has the original deckled edge from the watercolor paper.  The verses from the Bible that I was thinking about while working on this are these:  Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NASB) Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines... Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. I am going to offer this little ACEO for a special price, hoping to brighten someone's winter a little bit!  SOLD 3.5" x 2.5 " acrylic on watercolor paper Leave comment  to purchase or 

Kingdom 'Kingdom' is the first of a small series I want to do on the verses from the Sermon on the Mount that talk about blessing. (I did do another painting on this already, which was called 'Blessed'.) I am learning that it is really good for me to have a theme from which to work.  The tall, rectangular shapes were chosen to represent a city, but they overlap and blend into each other kind of as if they had been photographed with a strong telephoto lens. This is to suggest distance, and at the same time, reality. The domes bring the viewer's eyes to a focal point, and keep the painting from being terribly boring! ;) Matthew 5:3 (AMP) Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the poor in spirit (the humble, who rate themselves insignificant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! 11" x 14" acrylic on watercolor paper Leav...

Dance The most welcoming, celebratory place I know is in the presence of my Heavenly Father. It is the place where I can be myself - awkward, too colorful, mistaken - and HE delights in me anyway. And I delight in Him too.  This 5.75" square panel has acrylic paint skins layered on first, and is over-painted with a negative painting to achieve a loose celebration. It is heavily textured and shows hints of the colors that are covered by the black.  Some verses that tie in closely with this painting for me are these:  Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV) The Lord your God is in your midst,     a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness;     he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Psalm 37:4 (NASB) Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Jeremiah 9:23-25 (AMP) But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally and practically...

Valentine In response to some interest in my other valentine painting, and because that one is already on the wall in its new home, I decided to try my hand again with a similar concept. I use the idea of breaking up a single image into four parts as a way to represent the love shared in my family between four very different, yet closely related people.  As is often the case, I keep looking at this and thinking maybe I should add a little here or there, or cover that over there... I THINK this is the finished work though.  SOLD 4 paintings - 6" x 6" each overall size 12" x 12"