I’m Starla Henninger, a lover of Jesus, a wife and mother to three young adults, a musician, a teacher, and also a self-taught artist.
Bright, bold colors intermingled with softness in a variety of art mediums can capture more than words can say. It is my hope that as you browse these pages, and take in a sampling of the wide variety of artwork, that it uplifts your heart and brings you joy.
Hello there!
How did it all begin?
The journey into the art world began some 20 years ago. Sitting at the kitchen table with watercolors, a baby on my lap and a toddler who wanted to “play”, it was like I also became a child, playing with watercolors once again. Relaxing, I found that painting was enabling me to take a step back from the busyness of life. Deep in my heart from that moment, I realized that the small seed of loving art back in 7th grade art class was still there and wanted to grow.
So began my art journey. Grabbing a few cheap acrylic art craft paints and brushes, using empty frozen juice containers to rinse in, and printer paper to paint on, I began to “play”. Purchasing a book or two of Donna Dewberry’s, (this was before the world of youtube tutorials), I started learning how to use the one stroke method of painting florals and leaves. How to make thin lines, how to make bold lines, how to curve the brush just so, lifting as you go, pushing down as you go, etc. All was new to me, and while my son played with his watercolors, I was learning how to color all over again.
My Mission
…is to share truths and joys in creative ways, so as to encourage others in their walk with the Master Creator.
Your company name is “Quiet River Creations”. Why?
As a busy mother to three young children, it was easy to find myself depleted both physically and spiritually. Painting became a time of retreat, a quiet time to gather my thoughts. Even with two young boys napping or playing at my feet, painting at the table was a time I could also pray, think, and calm my heart.
Psalm 1:2,3 talks about a person who is rooted in God’s Word being like a tree that’s planted by the river of water, and bears much fruit in its season. I want to be like a tree by a river with my roots deep in Jesus, bringing forth His creative fruit in His beautiful timing. And so, “Quiet River Creations” began.
Quiet - Be still, my heart
River - Jesus Christ is the River and Giver of my creativity.
Creations - Not just in paintings, but in whatever way He wants to use me.
PLACES AND PEOPLE THAT INSPIRE MY ARTWORK.
Life’s experiences and people encountered have a way of flavoring who we are as a person.
Here are a few of the “spices” that have colored my world and tend to characterize much of my art.
Pacific Northwest
Towering fir trees, lush ferns, hidden meadows, horse riding, farm animals, nine siblings, the Pacific Ocean, wild huckleberries growing from stumps….these and more shaped my vision of the world from the very beginning.
Canada
5 years were spent in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies in Three Hills, Alberta. (2 years of High School and 3 years of Bible College)
Great open prairies, huge combines, tractors, granaries, wide open skies, beautiful sunsets were a part of life there.
The next 6 years found me in a small Native community in northern Saskatchewan. Here love and respect for various cultures of the world began to really take off. It was a wild place full of whispering aspen trees, huge lakes, ice fishing, bush country, pussy willows, muskeg, snowmobiling, Northern lights, moose, bear, native teens and children, and so much more.
Northern Mongolia
Next up? Four and a half years living about 50 miles from Siberia.
Amazing people with chapped rosy cheeks and warming hospitality, ghers, (yurts), reindeer, horses, herds of all kinds, wildflowers, cold cold winters, wide open plains, no fences, crystal clear water, all surrounded by a new language that eventually I began to understand and speak.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Yes, Cambodia. 6 months at an orphanage there. Tropical downpours of rain, beautiful flowers and trees, bamboo huts, open markets, bustling Phnom Penh, and yet another language to attempt to learn. Cambodia is a land full of faces that can still smile in spite of their deep sorrows and poverty.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Meeting my husband in Mongolia, we began our married life in Strasburg, PA in Pennsylvania. It was there that I gave birth to our two sons. Amish people, picturesque countryside, magnolia trees, vegetable stands, and the woods of Pennsylvania were all part of transitional life there.
Missouri
Our daughter was born here. Curvy roads, big lakes again, rocky soil, birds flooding our backyard, young children, homeschooling, blueberry picking, and starting to put painted items in consignment stores.
Virginia, Near DC
Our children are growing and painting skills improving. International community, hiking, homeschooling…redbud trees, beautiful farms, cherry tree blossoms, grandparents, selling printed cards at a local flower stand and beginning attempts at painting people.
Oklahoma
Windy windy, tornado alley, beautiful sunsets, interesting skies, new cavapoo puppy, church family, wind turbines, wildflowers and homeschooling. This is home for now; a beautiful place in it’s own way.
