Brenda Stichter, artist

September - D And here is the last part of this four piece Autumn grouping. I love the grouping together, and I love the interplay between these particular colors. I was comparing Southern Ocean Blue by Matisse with Phthalo Turquoise from Golden, and then combining and mixing them with Nickle Azo Gold, Titanium, and Buff Titanium. Not only are these good complementary colors that play well together, some of them are transparent colors that can layer and interact together in ways that I enjoy working with.  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. September Multi A blog post September Multi B blog post September Multi C blog post

Pearl Lustrous, with a deep, subtle beauty, a pearl, when mentioned in the Bible, references something of extraordinary value. I find that to be so interesting on a philosophical level, since a pearl is formed because of an irritation. And seemingly, the longer the irritant is present, the larger and more precious the pearl becomes. Evidently the many thin layers of a pearl are what cause the iridescence that is so fascinating and beautiful.  SOLD 6" x 6" acrylic on canvas panel  The beauty of this natural illustration seems obvious to me. It models GOD, the Creator, bringing about loveliness from difficult situations, in my life and in all of HIS creation. How precious it is to me that HE will bring about grace and beauty from adversity! (I have to admit, though, the thought of enduring an irritant for a long time is not at all appealing!) Job 28:12-19 12 “But where shall wisdom be found?     And where is the place of understanding?  ... 17 Go...

Another Topaz "Welp, there is always tomorrow," I texted my family as I sent them yesterday's painting. My beloved husband replied, "Yep. And the next day and the next and the next and the next and the next... " Well, you get the picture.  I think most artists are VERY aware that every painting will not be a masterpiece, and that is part of what makes this 30 in 30 challenge , um, exciting, we will say. So anyway, I chose to paint the same stone again today, but in a different way. (By the way, I also redid yesterday's painting, and you can see the update here .)  NA 6" x 6" acrylic on canvas panel  ready to frame The topaz is one of the stones mentioned in Exodus where GOD gives instructions for the beautiful garments to be worn by the priests. The high priest had a special garment with stones on it, and I have always thought that the stone covered cloth would be a treat to see! I have worked before at learning about each stone, and I ...

Gray Sabbath So, as it turns out, it doesn’t really matter how I open up this dumb canvas panel. Just get the stupid plastic out of the way. What difference does it make? Really, what difference does anything make. DOESN’T ANYBODY REMEMBER YESTERDAY ? They are all out there in the cold sunshine, heading to Wal-Mart to buy plastic eggs and plastic grass and shiny white little girl shoes. And bunny suits and candy. Tons of candy. WHAT ABOUT THORNS AND NAILS AND BODY BAGS ? If He is really dead – DEAD – then what is the point? My whole life makes no sense at all. Why did I even wake up this morning? I am going to mix paint and paint the whole thing gray. Blah. Lifeless. I just keep on seeing that cross … everywhere. I need some more caffeine. Green and red are the colors that I mixed to make my dead gray. Doesn’t that seem ironic to anyone else? Christmas colors? As if that birth, all that time ago, means anything whatsoever if He is dead. Dead . I need to g...

Good Friday. As I walked out to empty my dirty paint water, I thought about this painting I have to paint. I don’t know. I didn’t even think I could paint it as I did my quiet time this morning. But then, I think I need to. So I am walking out to empty the dirty bucket of water – full from painting a portrait of my beloved daughter. As I pour the pigment laden water in my gravel driveway, I think, “It is like preparing for the worst job in the world. What would that be? Maybe telling someone that their loved one has been killed in an accident? Maybe having to put a pet to sleep?” I came back toward the house with my inverted bucket, with my eyes on the ground, thinking. I moved the large things out of the way so that I could paint, and started to gather my thoughts about exactly which paint I would choose for this awful assignment. I took a panel from the shelf, and turned it to the back to cut off the protective plastic layer. “No,” I thought. “It is the front. I have ...