Brenda Stichter, artist

In the Secret Well, today I have finally finished the demo painting that I started in my workshop over a week ago! One forgets that it is difficult to keep after a goal in summer, doesn't one? Or is is just me?  I am struggling (again) to get a photo that shows this painting at it's best, because it looks deep and quiet and lovely photographed inside, but the details show better in the sun.  I am starting out with a photo from indoors s ince it is inspired by my woods, where it is deep, quiet, and lovely. 12" x 12" 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. I have told you many times about the story about our woods, and how I am waiting for some kind of redemption for the destruction there, though I cannot imagine what that redemption will look like. A week and a half ago when I walked there in the morning for inspiration and exercise, there was a small area...

Just Right Well, it looks like I will be sharing another more representational piece with you this week. I have to confess that I probably painted this one (instead of a more abstract painting) because it has been so challenging to prepare for the workshop I am teaching this weekend! I am slogging through my preparations - which hopefully means that the workshop itself will NOT be a slog! (By the way, due to a medical situation, a participant has had to drop out, so if you would like to attend there is ONE opening. Email me right away to get this spot for Saturday in Warsaw, IN.) SOLD 12" x 4" Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep gallery wrapped canvas Click here to view or purchase on my website. Click here to view or purchase on my website. Painted from life with a palette knife, and what fun it was! The roses smell fabulous! I used a gold underpainting, and then just three colors plus white, and the only brush work is the signature.  This morni...

Lovely As a Tree I am listening to such beautiful music* as I type, and I wish you could hear it too. It just seems to fit this beautiful tree that I pass in the mornings when I walk on the boardwalk. What I find so fascinating about it is that it looks backlit and glows lime green - at least in the spring mornings.  SOLD 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 or purchase on my website. As I thought about what I wanted to use as a title for this little work, the first two lines of this poem kept coming to mind. I don't think I had really paid attention to the poem before, and in fact, I couldn't remember exactly what it was that was not as lovely as a tree. A poem, evidently.  I read a little more about this poet as I prepared this blog post, and learned that he was a father of five children, and that he died in WWI at the age of 31. He was a very brave man in battle. And ...

Come to Me, 2020 There are so many of my available paintings that I think you might not remember, so I am considering sharing some more often - kind of throwback posts, I guess - as I share other art news. Maybe you will find JUST the painting you have been looking for for that one spot... Or you will find a blog post that speaks to you in a particular way. I hope so! Come To Me was painted in 2020, and during a time when I was experimenting with some collage with my paintings. I love the textured silvery colors in this painting, and the way the interference paint colors sneak through in the right lighting.  Darker passages lead attention to the heart of the painting, the focal point which in this case is the collaged Bible verse  Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Of course, I would love for you to be able to see it in person!  Fear Not Little Flock June 8, 2024 I will be teaching an intermediate level acrylic wo...

Stay Good Inside E'rytime 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Stay good inside e'rytime 48" x 60" 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. Several times during the days while I was working on this very large painting, a verse from the New Testament kept showing up. It is  part of a group of short verses that have been made into a song -probably several songs, if the truth be known- that usually look something like this: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Since I have not been reading in 1 Thessalonians, I was surprised that the verse kept popping up. And usually, I find that if something like that happens it is a good thing for me to pay attention. Maybe I need to look around for ways to show joy, huh?  The huge canvas was textured with a heavy coat of gesso, the edges were p...

Sunny and 69 Degrees  Spring just seems to require me to paint it. I find the deep blue sky with lime green leaves to be so visually stimulating, and it seems like the spring blossoms are shoving each other out of the way to be next in full bloom and fragrance.  Update: Sold. 12" x 4" 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. It feels to me like spring is such a time of renewal, and I sure need that after winter months. I wanted to try my hand at representing some of what I feel and see when I am out walking this time of year, and to see whether you can feel it too through this little abstract painting. I think it may be the first time I have painted using this size and shape canvas, and it was fun and challenging at the same time.  The shapes toward the top of the painting suggest a spring tree with leaves just budding out, and the long lines are trunk and roo...

Lavender Ground Fog Last fall, I was volunteering at a cooperative gallery space in Fort Wayne. One of the perks of working in that kind of space is that you can bring along any kind of project you want to do. I brought along my phone which is stuffed with inspiring photos, and my plein air painting gear. The other worker had his painting supplies too, so we both had the chance to work on paintings. (He was actually painting with water soluble oil paints, and very generously let me play with them to see whether I like them. I do, but not as much as I like my acrylic paints.)  I am still not used to, nor comfortable with, people being anywhere near me when I paint, so it was a challenge for me to focus on painting!   8" x 10" Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper Ready to frame Click here to view or purchase on my website. My plein air kit has only a few colors of paint, and I like the challenge of seeing ...