Sandra Abraham, a client of the Center for Behavioral Health, always knew she wanted to paint. But until she finally started four years ago, thanks to encouragement from the center and her friends, she never realized it could be a therapeutic — and affordable — hobby.

"I don't think I realized how much it would help," says Abraham, who'd been discouraged from painting in the past because she thought it would be too expensive. But she soon found that painting was a great release, much like journaling her thoughts, something she's been doing since she was 19.

Now an active participant in the center's art group, her work has been featured in the organization's calendar and all-occasion cards.

Abraham's art will be part of "The Art of Mental Health" exhibit at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Saturday, Dec. 2. The exhibit, displaying the work of Abraham and other clients at the center, is part of a larger series of events co-sponsored by the Center for Behavioral Health and the Mental Health Alliance (MHA).