Arts Agenda - Nature of myth

When Sarah Hatch was injured in an automobile accident in 1994, she turned to her love of painting to help her cope with the repercussions of that life-altering incident.

The result is Mythogenesis, an exhibition of mixed-media paintings that reflect what the artist calls “the re-creation of my life,” on view next month at Callanwolde Gallery.

Hatch’s whimsical, textural paintings explore a mythological universe of her own creation, which she describes as a place where “trees are thriving, water is flowing, animals are playing and dream houses are dreaming.” The artist employs a visionary approach to her work, in which random brushstrokes are placed on a canvas until an image begins to emerge. It is a process Hatch teaches in her Imaginative Painting class at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center.

Mythogenesis promises to illustrate how exploring the nature of myth can help one cope with reality.

Mythogenesis opens Sept. 7 with an artist’s reception 7-9 p.m. at Callanwolde Gallery, second floor of the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Road. The show runs through Oct. 5. Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 404-872-5338.??