Brenda Stichter, artist

I thought you might like to know that I will be offering a brand new workshop on April 20 in the afternoon at Lakeland Art Gallery in Warsaw, IN! I was asked to teach about metallics and leafing in paintings, so I am starting to work on my curriculum for that shorter workshop. If this is something you would like to learn about, keep an eye on my newsletters, and on my website event page here.   I expect to be releasing a lot more information in coming days. After a week or more thinking about it, I have decided to rename a painting I released last week, and I think the new name is more fitting than the original. Oddly Enough is the new name for the painting formerly known as Whatever Is Not An Annoying Word. It just fits way better in my mouth when I talk about that work! 

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 ...

River House 1 For the last couple of days I have had the opportunity to paint in a new location, in a sun room overlooking a river, and it has been a glorious way to break into plein air painting for this year. I am not sure that it would technically be called plein air painting, since I am not exactly outside, but I did have to pack up my kit and travel, and the windows opened wide and let in the outdoors as I worked. It was spectacular! 8" x 16"  Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on panel Framed in simple frame Click  here to view on my website.  While I was painting, I saw quite a few new-to-me things, like a bird that is unfamiliar to me, a black squirrel with a white tip on it's tail, and a bunch of deer that meandered through the wooded area across the river and eventually lay down in a little hollowed out spot among the trees. As you know if you have followed me in the past, I love the outdoors and flora and fauna when I am able to be among t...

Oddly Enough *Update: I have decided to rename this painting Oddly Enough. I like it better as a title, and it still fits!  I was trying to come up with a title for this painting, and I wanted to work with the word "whatever".  This painting was on my easel during my open house, and at that point, "whatever" was the only obvious thing I had painted. (See the progress photos later in the post.) I thought of several ideas, like "whatever floats your boat" and "whatever it takes", or maybe just "whatever". But I thought all of those ideas had a slightly sarcastic, irritating quality.  30" x 40" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Edges painted black Click here to view or purchase on my website. So, I googled "phrases using whatever", and I asked my family for ideas. Whatever flips your lid? Whatever you got? Whatever pops your cork? Oddly enough, one of the things goo...

Akin to Prayer Early this week, we celebrated balmy spring weather, almost to the point of my pulling out my summer wardrobe. Tomorrow night, it is supposed to be frigid. And in between were thunder storms, which I love when they don't bring damage in their wake. To me, spring brings something that is just spectacular in the deep blue of the sky (whenever the Hoosier perma-gray breaks for a minute), and especially the bare sycamore trees reaching upward into that blue.  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.  When I look up at the trees, particularly in the spring when their skeletons are showing, but they are also beginning to bud, it feels like more than just a cool view from nature. There are bones of hope and buds of promise there.  For me, there is something about the very act of tipping my head so that my eyes turn upward that is akin to prayer.  Painting...

Have you been wondering how my Open House event was? We left almost immediately afterward to travel, so I have not yet had the chance to share about it or to say THANK YOU to the friends who came! So much work went into being ready for guests, and now I am working on wrapping up paperwork and packing up paintings - some of them permanently. I have already completely used up two rolls of stretch wrap! Maybe you would like to see a collage of several of the works that were sold over the weekend -  I have to say I am grateful for each one that is in it's new home!  I do actually have a new larger painting underway, but I am stumped with my next step on it. It is based on Philippians 4:8 and was on my studio easel during the event. I have made progress, but my next step has me flummoxed!  Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excell...

Sand and Palm Trees Here in northern Indiana, we are experiencing a preview of spring, and it has been delightful! The sun shining in my windows calls me to go outside and play, and it has been warm enough to wear a light jacket, or sometimes even skip a jacket all together. In spite of the appeal of this Indiana pre-spring, I still felt the pull to paint an even warmer place once again. There is just something about sand and palm trees that tugs at me just a little.  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 painted a sand-and-palm-tree painting in December, and have chosen to make this one quite similar in that I am using only a palette knife instead of brushes, and am using a very limited palette of colors. I love the feeling that I am looking down over the edge of a hill toward the water, and I especially like the tiny strip of sand in the distance where the land ju...

Ancient Hymn Isn't that sunlight spectacular? I have been working on the Open House pretty much non-stop in the last days, as you will have seen if you follow my social media. I would guess most of you are getting almost as tired of reading about it as I am of writing about it! But it sure has been a delight to see some of my older work that has been out of sight for a long time, and some of my newer work hanging in new places. This is my view this morning from my chair where I read my Bible. It really caught my attention when the sun hit the painting this way! Ancient Hymn 18" x 48" or 48" x 18" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Edges painted black Click here to view on my website. For a long time now, my Beloved Husband and I have been talking about downsizing. Well, this Open House is a step toward downsizing for us. I have many, many paintings currently hanging in our home, and a lot of them will be ...

From the Heart, 2019. Things are getting serious now, let me tell you! I am hanging work, ordering supplies, and doing lots of computer work, all trying to be prepared for my Open House Valentine's Day weekend.  James 1:17 Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 30" x 22" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Click here to view on my website.  It is invigorating to do all of the preparation, but I sure do miss the studio time. I have a few works in progress, and I know my next steps on those paintings, and it is challenging to leave them and do what I have to do! But it's a good problem to have.  Our family's world/life has been spinning so fast this week, and I have discovered something a little surprising to me. I find that I am less anxious when I have more craziness going on......

Pretty Much As it turns out, it is very difficult to photograph silver pigment and leaf. I shouldn't be surprised, especially since I don't use a camera, per se, to photograph, but use my phone almost exclusively. Still, I will probably have to use several photos to give you the idea of what this piece actually looks like. 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. I hope you notice the movement and color in the background, behind the silver. I love the swirls and splashes, and I definitely see water there. The yellow-green areas are not as dominant in real life. The textures are the best part of this one. Well, maybe the way the silver pigment powder responded to my work on the surface is the star, but the textures are right up there too.  Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, I have been reading in Romans in the New ...

Come Before Winter During my quiet time, the time I spend reading the Bible and praying, I can look out the window across our pasture and woods. The big windows face east, so this time of year, I can watch the sunrise. Often, the view of the sunrise accentuates my sense of being in communication with my Heavenly Father.  6" x 6" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep cradled wood panel Click here to view or purchase on my website. We have had a few bright, sunny mornings here in northern Indiana, and I have sat in front of the windows with my pantlegs and sleeves rolled up to try to soak up some of that "vitamin S". (Yes, I made that up. I am sure it has a proper name.) Those bright skies, with only a hint of cloudiness, inspired this painting.  I wanted to paint the smooth transition of cold color in the sky, and the dark silhouettes of the trees in the foreground, but NOT in a photorealistic style. I love to just suggest the beauty I am ...

Homesick, 2018 Click here for original blog post My 2026 Open House is in the active planning stage! I have been hinting at it for a while now, but I have started sending out more formal announcements, creating "Events" on my website and Facebook, and fretting about getting all of my paintings arranged and tagged by February 13.  If you receive my other email newsletter (which tends to be less frequent, and less about the stories of individual new paintings), you will have already seen some information about my plans for this year. The biggest news is that after the Open House, I will be retiring a lot of my paintings. I have already started working through some things on my website, and will be narrowing down the available paintings by quite a bit.  You can find more information on my website by clicking the Open House Event here.  I will plan to share a coupon for newsletter subscribers (both newsletters), and highlight more information as the time gets closer.  If...

Talking in My Sleep For the last few weeks, I have known the title for this painting, even while it was unfinished. It started, as many do, with words from the Bible on an early layer, and that was a good start toward the title, Talking in My Sleep. I like the title, and I think it helps encourage curiosity about the painting.  20" x 30" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint and silver colored metal leaf on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper White frame included Click here to view on my website. The words from the Bible come from one of my favorite passages that I have used often, Psalm 62:5-8 My soul, wait in silence for God only , For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. I have mentioned before that I...

Mik Landscape *Kim would always sign her artwork Mik If you look with a squint, or at a thumbnail sized photo of it, can you see the landscape in this painting? It is a landscape that reminds me of my friend, Kim, who passed into eternity yesterday.  She and I were the same age, and she had been my friend for about 45 years. My family moved a lot i n my early life,   and she was the only friend who stayed connected over all that time, over all that distance.  We differed in nearly every opinion, especially in political and societal things, but remained friends.  When we were young, and I would spend time with Kim, we would often hang out  in the woods  on her family's homestead. She knew every tree, and could tell me where plants grew and animals lived. She was never lost there (though I was) and I think she loved every inch of that property.  8" x 8" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep canvas Edges painted black Click her...

Coastlands My first painting of 2026 is a small one that I worked on in order to practice some techniques for a larger work I have on my easel. I am really loving the progress on the bigger one, and wanted to make sure to know what I was doing before my next layer. In the process, I have a small painting that I really like.  Our family time over the last couple of weeks has brought me lots of joy (though of course, the time with our adult kids was too short...) and I especially loved lots of time with my Beloved Husband. I even painted once or twice during that time! 6" x 6" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Edges painted black Click here to view on my website. I have usually painted when no one else is around, unless I am teaching, in a plein air paint out, or doing a demo of some kind. Toward the end of my BH's time off from work, I decided I would try to paint with him here. It was a huge adjustment for me. If you ...