Bringing peace through art

Dawn Hatchett said her abstract paintings are “a reflection of what is going on inside.” If this is so, then she is filled with peace.

Using oil, ink and gold leafing, Hatchett applies shape, color, words, symbols and texture to canvas, creating an expression of harmony. “I want my paintings to show the love and devotion, peace and harmony that I have found through my relationship with God,” she said.

Hatchett, 40, began painting in high school. She used creativity to work out teenage angst during a time when she believed (and sometimes still does) that hope, peace, tranquility and love were often absent from the world. An example of her earlier work is the painting of her father smoking in his easy chair while war goes on behind him in the jungles of Vietnam.

She studied at Spokane Falls Community College and the Art Institute in Seattle. Now, time and her relationship with God have brought new meaning to her work, which she calls “abstract, spiritual feelings in color.”

Her pieces include the titles “Grateful,” “Love,” “Faith,” “Elohim” and “Adonia.” Her favorite, “Redeemer,” is a large mixed-media piece that emits a feeling of tranquility. “The outside world is full of fear and unsettledness,” she said. Having peaceful paintings in one’s home makes sense. “Home is a sanctuary.”

Hatchett paints in a basement studio of her North Side Spokane home where the walls are covered with many works in progress. There is also a commissioned job, a large mural of an angel sitting on the moon on an unframed canvas. Hatchett’s 16-year-old daughter, Sera, also uses the space to paint, and her son, Zachary, is musically inclined. “This has always been a creative household,” she said, “It’s awesome to tap into the creative part. It makes you a better person.”

Hatchett’s goal is to convey peace to others through her creations. She has displayed her work at Learn to Burn Music and the William Grant Gallery. Currently she shows at Art, Music and More in the Valley Mall, where she has sold five pieces.

Hatchett’s husband of 19 years, Jason, also creates tranquility in people’s homes with Stargazing Ceiling Murals. Together they are bent on creating sanctuaries for everyone.

“Home is a place to shake off the outside world and reflect upon peace, love and forgiveness,” she said. And having a visual aid doesn’t hurt.