Brenda Stichter, artist

Seek My Face If you have watched my progress for very long, you know it is fairly uncommon for me to paint a representational painting. (Notice, I didn't call it realistic! I would still consider this to be an abstract landscape.) But being recognizable isn't the only unusual thing about this painting. It is also huge! It is 48" x 60" - tied with Higher Glory for the biggest painting I have done.  SOLD 48" x 60" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on  deep gallery-wrapped canvas Ready to hang Click here to see this painting on my website. There were several 'muses' for this work. I don't suppose muse is quite the correct word, but the influence of all of these things has been with me as I have worked on this painting.   First, let me share with you a song that my mother recommended to me, called Is He Worthy? , by Andrew Peterson. It was quite a while from the time Mom suggested this song until I listened to it, bu

Advent My next trip to Minnesota starts at "zero-dark-thirty" tomorrow morning. To tell the truth, it makes me a little tired just thinking about that! This has been a jam-packed winter so far for me, and I am feeling it a bit. But I have to say, I am glad I am able to help Mom with her new pursuits, and I am really enjoying the time with her.  Since I am travelling more, though, I have not yet done ANY of the Christmas decorating that I usually do at my house. None of it! But it still feels like I should wait... Why is that? Am I waiting like the world waited for justice and peace? 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.  At the little church we attend, I have the privilege of making "installation art" for the front of our sanctuary. It has been a very rewarding project this past year, and I work with my Beloved

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

How Long? I am watching the sky. The colors and patterns and shapes are invigorating, but… There is a hole in the cloud where the bottom seems to be falling through. It made me say Wow, Lord.  I leaned over in my chair, and saw blazing neon orange crashing through the black tree line. Is it coming? Is the sun coming up? The colors back there behind the woods are spectacular. They seem to promise an immanent sunrise. Now?  There is a jet stream that is cutting through the thick layer of cloud, and virga is falling from the slash. The color and morning are so much more intense when I step outside. The grass is crispy white and my feet are cold where the holes in my crocs let in the autumn air. Is there going to be a sunrise?? It is just taking too long – this waiting. And what if there is no sunrise? 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. Well, it rose. It rose again

This Time Before Winter Autumn is such a beautiful season here where the leaves change color, and so does the sky. The air is crisp and the texture of the grasses and bony arms of the trees spur imagination! It feels so short, to me, this time before winter. I try to pack in outdoor walks and time in our woods before the trail is covered in snow or (even worse) slushy water. Is it my favorite season? I don't know.  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. Have you noticed there seems to be an expectancy, almost a teetering-on-the-edge feeling in the autumn? Or maybe it is just me. And somehow, at least this year, it seems much bigger than just "will it be a tough winter?" or "Christmas is right around the corner".  Interestingly, my Bible reading has been in the Old Testament book of Isaiah, and at night, my Beloved Husband and I have been reading in

New Every Morning #10 "There is a hole that's been dug under the pasture fence," I told my Beloved Husband this evening. I started the morning out with a long walk in our woods, and it was just beautiful! In fact, the sky was so intriguing to me that I have 'accidentally' painted it in a more representational style than I usually want to.  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.  I have told you before how I can get distracted by the beauty in the sky, haven't I? It was such a welcome sight! We have had a couple of tough days around here. You know, nothing huge, just discouragement, disappointment and drudgery. (Like fixing a hole under the pasture fence...) The gorgeous sky and this verse from the Old Testament both were comforting to me. The passage in Isaiah talks about GOD coming to the rescue of His people in historical context, but the

Peace Be Still "He needs a tool I have in my van," said my Beloved Husband as he checked his schedule with mine this morning. He has been loving the opportunity to help his friend with the harvest this year, and I love that he can do it! They have been rained out a few times, and I would guess that it is not uncommon to have rainy days when it is time to get the crops in, but since we are not farmers, I rarely pay a lot of attention to how many days it rains. In fact, I love rainy days.  As we were looking at our weather apps on our phones this morning, though, to check whether it was supposed to rain today, I scrolled past a couple of videos showing damage from the hurricanes that have hit the United States this fall. Wow. Such extreme devastation.  NLA 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. Mark 4:39 “And he awoke and rebuked the w

Overflowing Hope I am revisiting an older painting today while I work on bigger paintings in my studio, and prepare for three (!) upcoming events. Overflowing Hope has been a favorite for a long time. I painted it in 2013 when I was learning so many new techniques, composition concepts, and color combinations. I was less aware, at that point, how my thoughts could sometimes just "magically" appear when I was painting. (And to tell the truth, I suspect it happened less frequently then because my learning curve was so steep!)  SOLD 24" x 36" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on hand-made, prepared wood panel Ready to frame Click here to view on my website.  Romans 15:13 (AMP) May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. Some things are still meaningful to me about this painting (I would hope so!) such as the

All Things New II With two kids in seminary, (Stichterminarians, as they call themselves!) I am getting lots of opportunities to rethink things that I think I know. I am being constantly encouraged to return to the Bible to research whether my beliefs are founded there, or are sort of just a traditional belief. I actually love that! I love having to think critically about things, and see whether they logically and theologically are sound. I love the research and wrestling with thoughts that are huge.  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. Revelation 21:4-5 (ESV) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this d

All Things New It's a wonderful problem to have, really. I have had to scramble a couple of times lately to make sure I have some paintings to replace works that have sold from the current exhibit of my work that is hanging at 'the gallery at rua' in Warsaw, IN. I have needed to find the right shape and size to fill particular spots, and it has caused me to revisit old paintings looking for gems that I may have overlooked.  This morning, I found some 'new' paintings by reclaiming, cropping, and reworking some of my older paintings that I have loved, but that have not sold. I found that by working with the old, I have been able to come up with something that is just right for what I need - I am making these old paintings new.  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 purchase on my website. I really love the fact that this process has allo

Morning Prayer This weekend, my Beloved Husband took me out for breakfast, but we had to drive separately so that he could go on to 'play farmer' and I could return home to paint. So he turned out of the driveway ahead of me, then it was my turn to join the traffic and point toward town. As I turned out from our tree lined drive, I saw the magnificent sky. Oh my goodness! The colors of the sunrise, the shapes and movement of the scattered clouds, the blues and whites and grays... I nearly drove right off the road because I was so distracted by the beauty of the sky. (Not the first time I have been that distracted, I must admit.)  It was so pleasant to spend the time with my BH. He works early most days, so it is uncommon for us to have that kind of morning. I returned home and headed right to my chair where I regularly read my Bible and meet with my Heavenly Father. Color and quiet joy were on my mind as I opened to the Old Testament book of Isaiah.  Isaiah 12:4 “Give t

Harvest I guess seasons could be a unifying theme to my thoughts today. My Beloved Husband is helping our friend with the harvest - playing is how he looks at it. But we have a family member who is a diesel mechanic, and I think that he wishes there were three of himself during this time of year, when he is called on to keep the farmers' tractors running AND harvest his own crops! And he and his wife just had a baby, just to keep life interesting.  This season of life will pass him by more quickly than he can imagine.  8" x 8" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Click here to see on my website. To my surprise, one of the passages I read in my Bible this morning seems to speak to these things, too. I had focused on the juxtaposition of light and dark in the verses, but joy, harvest, and 'multiplying the nation' are in there too! I do think this little painting suggests both the light and dark contras

Full of His Glory This might be a long blog post, but I had what I found to be a really interesting thought this morning about a part of my Bible reading, and I would like to tell you about it! I hope you can stand my story-telling as I try to help you 'see' what I 'saw'. 30" x 22" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to purchase from my website.  You might remember this part of the story, because I am fairly sure I told you before, but stick with me for a minute. One year, for my birthday, my Beloved Husband took me to visit several galleries as my gift. It was a fabulous gift! We ventured all over the city and in and out of galleries and an art museum (and had delicious philly cheesesteak sandwiches with mountains of fries) and he went into each one with me. He usually found the best leather chair in each place, and patiently waited for me. At o