Alchemy of Transformation

The original 240 sq ft. studio.

The western view with the grape arbor.

Building the wall for the bathroom.

The staircase to the loft going in.

The interior of Plum Blossom Cottage.

The transformed garden and privacy screen.

Painting a flower mural on the subfloor. 

The new garden pathways and first year plantings.

The images I've posted today are just a glimpse into the transformation of my art studio into a guest cottage. This process was undertaken partly to help us diversify our income in uncertain economic times, partly to invest in our future selves as our children grow up and leave home, and as a way to connect nationally and globally from our local rich resource: Portland, OR and the Pacific Northwest.

The first few images are what the studio looked like BEFORE the transformation. The building was built in the 1930's by the original owners of the house. It was a woodworking shop and has always been used as a studio/creative/workshop. We bought our house 14 years ago from another artist couple, one of whom is a stone sculptor (professor of art at Yavapi College) and the other a light artist (think: James Turell).

We hired a crack team of artists and craftspeople to help with this project (besides raising our children, maybe the biggest one we've ever undertaken!) I was the vision behind the project inspired by Arati and Kevin Von Behren (http://www.flyawakepdx.com/). Shannon Belthor was our main contractor, architectural drawing and carpentry whiz ( http://www.shannonbelthor.com/). Mema Greer was the tile magician and design consultant (http://www.villagemuse.org/). Angela Cooper Crow was our garden goddess (http://www.asthecrowfliespdx.com/)...and I stepped into a general contractor/project management role that was an entirely new challenge for me since I tend to be a soft-spoken, gentle mediator rather than a bossy, take-charge, get-it-done type person!

As an artist and longtime spiritual explorer, I have always been intrigued by the process of alchemy and transformation. As an artist, I take "raw" materials, fabric, paper, paint, inks, plants, words and through the use of my imagination and inspirtation I transform them into paintings, dolls, sculptures, site-specific installations, gardens, poems and blog posts! As a spiritual explorer I take the raw material of the body/mind/spirit and through meditation, yoga, Qi gong and dance practices, transform my experience of the world with its complexities and challenges. In both realms I'm less interested in changing the world per se, than I am in effecting change within my own experience and interface with the world-as-it-is. I've learned the hard way that the world itself is much less transformable than I care to admit. Life can be very hard, frequently troublesome. People are complex and confusing, sometimes selfish, cruel, greedy and angry. Institutions can be  rigid and toxic. Social systems are often labyrinthine, entrenched, and perplexing.

The one thing I have discovered that I can transform is always my own self, my own environment, my own mind and heart and body. When I make art or offer poetry classes or engage in meditation or Qi gong practice or drink tea with my friends or do make simple contributions to my own community, the world can go along it's merry or not-so merry way, but who I am, how I am, my resilience, happiness and flexibility increases, how my heart and mind perceive the world changes. In other words, taking the lead of life and turning it into gold. To paraphrase Ghandi, I AM the change I want to see in the world.

To book a stay at Plum Blossom Cottage:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3383967