Brenda Stichter, artist

  New Every Morning #42 Lamentations 3:22-23  English Standard Version " The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;  his mercies never come to an end;  they are new every morning;  great is your faithfulness." 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. Holman Christian Standard Bible   ח Khet " Because of the Lord’s faithful love  we do not perish,  for His mercies never end.  They are new every morning;  great is Your faithfulness!" King James Version " It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Living Bible "his compassion never ends. It is only the Lord’s mercies that have kept us from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day." Amplified Bible " It is becau...

New Every Morning #41 For today's New Every Morning painting, I want to share some quotes that I have in my quote collection, so to speak. "I have consciously sought after those things which make for value, order, richness, spirit and wonder,  even though I am often unable to verbalize what I feel when I perceive something beautiful. Sometimes it's  a pang or a sensation; at other times it is an awareness of joy and security or pure pleasure. In any event,  it is a moment to be celebrated. Beauty justifies itself. The fact that it is beyond definition means nothing."  Luci Swindoll, You Bring the Confetti, God Brings the Joy “I have been about the world long enough to know that God’s plans for us, however infallibly good, may not  take the form that we expect and demand.”  Ellis Peters, One Corpse Too Many “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”  Julian of Norwich 6" x 6" Painted with the finest q...

New Every Morning #40 This bright, texture-rich little painting is a really good reminder of the last couple days here in Northern Indiana. The colors remind me of the weather which has been (mostly) bright, warm, and spring-y, and the heavy texture reminds me of the daily adjustments that we are all under with regards to the virus. The painting is a "high-key" painting, which means there aren't dark values in it. I am just loving the bright color.  It kind of reminds me of a landscape, how about you? And it looks like there is water flowing down into the foreground. I am always captivated by water! 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 may have mentioned this before, but I am finding I really need color these days. I think it would be so much harder to "hunker at home" (as Indiana calls it) if we were in the middle of a typical Northern...

New Every Morning #38 Here we are, all of us, in an unprecedented situation. It seems that daily, new restrictions are arising, and new questions come to my mind, as I am sure they do to yours. I am daily, or maybe hourly or even continuously, returning to the knowledge that MY HEAVENLY FATHER IS NOT SURPRISED. He is good, He loves me (and you), and He will cause "all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 New Every Morning #38 is my newest addition to my series of small paintings, and it expresses some of what I have been feeling. I think it feels a little stormy, and maybe eerie, but it is a traditional format - almost an abstract landscape - and I am using that to show that even in stormy, eerie, unprecedented days, God is still absolutely solid.  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 ...

New Every Morning #37 It is a splendidly sunny day again here in Indiana! I am not at all sure how to behave when we have so much sunshine. Do I go outside and soak up some vitamin D, or do I get back in the studio and paint (or on the computer and blog)? On days like this, everything I see is beautiful...  I have been working on a project in the studio that I plan to share next week. I have finished two of the three paintings in the group, and so far, I am happy with them!  My Beloved Husband is improving daily from his shoulder surgery, though it is still a painful and long ordeal ahead. He is out of his sling for the most part and starting to stretch and strengthen his arm and shoulder.  6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on hand-made, prepared wood panel Ready to frame Click here to purchase via my website. On bright days like today, I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father offers his lovingkindness "new every morning...

New Every Morning #35 Today we have had a fairly heavy snowfall, and once again I am so glad that snow is white and not some other color! It was breathtaking this morning to see the snow covering every single object outside. Nothing was left uncovered that was open to the snow. (I feel like that would preach!) 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 via my website. The snowy, gray-white mornings are beautiful, but the other morning, as the clouds started to roll in, I got a text from my Beloved Husband, who was on his way to work. "Sun." That is all he said. (And honestly, since he was DRIVING with one arm completely immobilized in a sling, I am not even sure how he did that!) The sky was mostly shades of deep blue, but the sun was a bright orange ball peeking through, with maybe a thin line of orange along the horizon. Dazzling.  Especial...

The First Noel, 2019 I painted The First Noel in 2016, and there is a good blog post about the original (before the update) painting here . As I read what I wrote when I first worked on this piece, I can see that the some of the same thoughts still carry through.  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. Yesterday, my son shared a song with me that has, surprisingly, been impacting me for two days. It is a metal song , and if you are not a fan of metal music, it will probably not be something you enjoy. It is, admittedly, a bit disturbing. But, as I posted on my personal Facebook page, it tells the Christmas story in a powerful way. "If metal music is offensive to you, you will not appreciate this song, but oh my goodness! I don't listen to a lot of metal, but I keep playing this. This is Christmas! Not cookies and stockings, but warfare to rescue humanity...

New Every Morning #31 I am interrupting my "Vintage Collection" posts for this little autumn New Every Morning painting. It just has to be posted while there is still some autumn color!  New Every Morning #31 Today in northern Indiana we have heavy snow. It seems a little earlier than sometimes, and as much as I love the beauty of it, I must admit to a tiny bit of concern about our travel conditions for this week. We will be driving to NC and to FL this week! I will be attending an art trade show and I do look forward to being in “art world” at Art of the Carolinas in Raleigh, NC. (Will you be there?) 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. My time reading the Bible this morning started out in 2 Corinthians. Verse 2 offers a greeting of grace and peace, and I am so aware that I need grace and peace! I have been thinking about how seemingly little...

Emerald Replacement  A couple of years ago for a painting challenge, I painted abstract expressions of stones found in the Bible, and I grouped some of them in frames. A few of those original paintings have since sold, and I chose today to paint one of the replacements - an emerald.  As I did when I first painted emeralds for this project, I did a little looking at photo references and some information about the use of emerald in the Bible and the rest of history. It is still an interesting study. This time I learned that Cleopatra was evidently obsessed with emeralds. I wish I could see photos of her with her jewelry! 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. Can you see the iridescent gold in this photo? It is so pretty! If this painting is not purchased individually, it will become a part of a really cool grouping of paintings that represents the foundation stones in...

New Every Morning #28 Today is gray and rainy, and while I love this kind of day, it really stinks trying to get a good photograph of my painting without the sun! I just cannot capture the light or the color properly.  We have guests staying with us now, and because they don't need to be up and around at "zero-dark-thirty" like we do, I spent some time outside watching the sky at sunrise today. Wow. It was so beautiful! I tried to photograph the sky, too, but again, I could not capture it... the color and shape were there, but they were muted and blurred  without the sun. 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. Some friends of friends lost their 22 year old son yesterday. I have been heartbroken for them for the last two days. There have been a few photos shared, but you know, they just cannot get a good photo without that son.  My painting time ...

New Every Morning #27 Early this morning I started my quiet time of Bible reading and prayer in 'my spot', looking out across our pasture and woods. I was listening to the Dallas Theological Seminary video of last night's worship chapel, and watching the ground fog over the pasture. The combination of the music/celebration of praise and the illustration of beauty sidetracked me, and I interrupted my quiet time (or maybe just experienced it in a different way) by heading to the studio to paint a morning painting.  6" x 6" 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. James 4:14 (ESV) "yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."  (By the way, I found this passage to be comforting, surprisingly enough...) Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of th...

New Every Morning #26   Have I told you about an exhibit I 'curated' for the gallery space at the church we attend? It is a photography exhibit of sky photos (taken by people who attend there) showing how God's glory and artistry is shown in the sky. It is such a nice exhibit. This painting reminds me of the exhibit, and of how His glory is declared New Every Morning - and evening.  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. Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV) But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

   Swimmer warm-up Once again, I am working on a more representational painting! I got permission to use a photo reference from one of my first college roommates, Lisa. She  posted a snapshot she had taken and talked about it on social media, and it struck a chord with me! When I paint the final version of the work, I will share her post, but for now, I am really enjoying working on it.  7ish" x 22ish"  One side cut, 3 sides deckle edges Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. I can envision this trimmed down and framed, or maybe just framed, and hanging near my mirror, or in a changing room at a pool or beach. This person in her swimsuit holds my respect and admiration. (Can you tell?) Painting the final version will be a delight!  I Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always!

New Every Morning #24 A quick post this afternoon to share the painting I shared on Instagram ( brendakaypaintings ). As I mentioned there, I had fully intended to add an abandoned building to this landscape, but I am choosing to keep it sparse, at least for now.  I really love the greens and the textures in the grass.  The feeling of a sparse, abandoned, forgotten place in an empty landscape was the original intent, but this little painting is sweet as it is.  6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on panel Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. The sorrowful news over the weekend of more people being shot to death in our country brings added significance to my painting, but more so to the Scripture verses on which the series is based.  Lamentations 3:21‭-‬23 ESV But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every m...

New Every Morning #23  "Paint something pretty," said my Beloved Husband as he left this morning before the sun was up. He knows how tricky it can be to balance marketing/paperwork, family responsibilities, homemaking, and "arting". It is a sure sign of his love for me that he encourages me to do my painting. Especially today, when our yard really needs to be mowed... NLA 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame The mornings lately have been beautiful and mostly clear and bright. The temperatures have been moderate and one just could not really ask for nicer weather. But clear, beautiful skies don't inspire my warm-up paintings like storms or other weather conditions do. Interestingly, as I worked on this painting that is part of my New Every Morning series, I noticed that without the dark values, the painting is nowhere near as interesting or compelling.  I realize that this...

New Every Morning #18 "I can't see across the lake," I said to Mom. "It's snowing pretty heavily, and it's windy." "Good thing YOU'RE driving," she answered with a chuckle. Yeah. Good thing. Ha! I am out of practice when it comes to driving in Minnesota winters. Though we had some near white-out conditions, and the beginning of some drifting, by the time we returned in the late afternoon, the roads were already quite passable.  Minnesota is good at dealing with winter! 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. This time spent with Mom is precious to me. (Not necessarily easy, since we are working on moving her to a smaller place to live, but precious.) I am grateful for the opportunity to be here and help. I am also kind of loving this crazy little abstract. It is a great picture of how some of these mornings feel, and it fits we...

New Every Morning #16 "I got plowed out yesterday," she said, "and we have about 5" or 6" more today. It should be no problem to pick you up." While we here in Indiana have had ice, snow, and wind, Mom has had snow and cold! And I am heading to see her tomorrow. Now, if I were visiting my in-laws instead, I would be seeing some warmer temps and maybe even beach time! (Doesn't the beach sound fabulous?) NLA 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Since my life has been, um, complex lately, there have been so many obstacles and things to juggle. So many ducks to keep in a row! So many things piling up that can distract me from the most important things. (I know that every one of you reading this can probably commiserate with me on this!)  Knowing I will be short on studio time has forced me to work harder during the time I have and to paint more, and earlier in the day. I...

Love Letters Yesterday I painted a very similar painting, and posted it to Facebook before blogging or uploading it to my website. When I asked my FB friends what I should call it, I got some fun responses (mostly after I had already named and posted it) including the name Love Letters. This is a title that really caught my attention, so I chose to finish this painting with that name in mind.  I am not sure whether you can see ALL of the color and shimmer and texture in this little Valentine. I did collage a few pieces once again, but most of the work is acrylic paint.  SOLD 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel, with some collage Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. I want to share with you part of a poem that my son introduced to me. I think it is beautiful. I did not have to ask my heart what it wanted, because of all the desires I have ever known, just one did I cling to for it was the essence of...

Hugs and Kisses Valentine's Day is coming, and I am celebrating early. (I may have already told you that.) This little piece was such fun to play with today! It is mostly acrylic paint, with a touch of "mixed media" to give some additional texture.  SOLD 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel, some mixed media Ready to frame Click here to view on my website. "Thou sluggard! Get ye up. Throw thou a party. Today calls for a celebration." Taken from the introduction to You Bring the Confetti, God Brings the Joy by Luci Swindoll.

New Every Morning #15 Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." NLA 6" x 6" Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on Art Bite panel Ready to frame Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting. Ralph W Emerson