My studio is just a few blocks outside of the Art District in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. I have a beautiful space that overlooks the Bay. I see eagles, hawks, swans, geese and falcons flying outside my studio window as sail boats float by on the Bay.
It feels like a paradise when I’m inside creating. But, outside my studio is a different story….
Recently one of the homes across the street fell into a dire situation. I watched it crumbling over the years, until finally, it reached the state you see it in now.
Each time I walked outside of my studio I felt my energy dip in sadness and embarrassment by the state of my neighborhood.
The whole city has been in the midst of a radical transformation since most of the industry closed or went over-seas over a decade ago.
In fact, due to this massive transformation the city attracted an abundance of artists because suddenly studio space was super cheap. Hamilton didn’t have an Art District before, now it does. The city didn’t have a vibrant art scene before, now there are literally hundreds of artists roaming the city.
There is a mixture of sadness and deep appreciation when I look at this crumbling home across the street.
To me, it represents transformation. It is this transformation that on the one hand created many lost souls wondering what will happen next. It is also the same transformation that enabled the city to find its voice as a creative haven for artists.
Transformation has both ugliness and beauty braided within its sphere.
As I watched this home, I felt a spark of inspiration rise…
I had an idea to create art that could surround the house in a rainbow of love to cocoon it while it heals and transforms into its next expression.
This is a sketch I created to capture the idea I imagined.
With the full spectrum of inspiration brimming in my bones I reached out to the owners of this home to inquire about their plans and see if it could include some transformational art!
The house was bought by Stoney Brook Design Build and their plans are to tear it down and rebuild. We had a conversation about my idea to make transformational art to heal the house and create beauty during its transition. They loved the idea, so all is a go!
Over the next few weeks I will be painting the house with rainbows of love. Keep watch to see this house be transformed by art!
I’m calling this project the Rainbow House. It feels like a symbol that stretches further than just this house.
The Rainbow House is a symbol of transformation.
Our whole world is in a state of transformation right now, and there is ugliness in it, and there is the potential for beauty.
I believe the best way to move through any transformation is to honor what has been so it is free to heal and be released with respect. I believe that honoring the past creates rich, fertile soil for a new future to grow with beauty, creativity and love.
I’d love to hear what you think of this Rainbow House Project.
Are you experiencing a transformation in your life right now that may be in the ugly phase? Are you ready to find the beauty in the transformation? Is your city or town going through a radical transformation just like my city is? Is there anything of the past that needs to be honored and respected in order to be released and healed? How could you weave beauty and creativity into your current transformation?
Post your thoughts in the space below. let’s start to look at transformation with new eyes.
Share ‘The Rainbow House- Part 1’ with your friends and community!