About Artful Transformations
Growing & Healing Through Art
Artful Transformations is a creative studio in Columbia City, Indiana, dedicated to fostering growth, healing, and self-expression through art for teens and adults (ages 12+). We offer group classes, private lessons, paint party-style events, art workshops, restorative art sessions, creative coaching, and more.
Artist and owner Natalee Wright also offers original fine art, prints, greeting cards, and commissions—browse her portfolio and shop right here on our site.
Our mission is to provide a welcoming space where creativity can blossom. Whether you're here to unwind, learn a new skill, or connect with others, you'll find your place at Artful Transformations.
My "Why"
Welcome to Artful Transformations!
My name is Natalee Wright. I am the owner and artist behind Artful Transformations LLC.
My journey has been profoundly shaped by my experiences and the people I’ve had the privilege to walk alongside. I’ve sat with children—abused, troubled, and searching for their way in a world that often seems harsh. I’ve been there for families at the end of life, uncertain how to manage the grief or the heartbreak of watching a parent fade into dementia. I’ve held space for individuals whose lives were altered in an instant—through accidents, violence, or unexpected events—as they struggled to rebuild themselves and their futures.
Through these moments—and through my own tragic experiences—I have learned to hold space for myself. To sit with my own grief, health struggles, and losses. It is through these challenges that I’ve come to understand the power of art as a vehicle for transformation.
Art is a powerful tool that allows us to process emotions, assert our identities, and heal from our wounds. It gives us a way to express both our vulnerability and our strength, to create meaning from pain. This is why I create, teach, and hold space for others: to help people explore their own transformation, to heal through expression, and to meet them where they are on their journey.
Artful Transformations is more than just a studio; it’s a place where everyone can feel seen, heard, accepted, and loved. It is a safe, welcoming space for all walks of life, where we hold space for whatever you bring with you—whether it’s joy, sorrow, struggle, or strength—and help you transform it into something beautiful.
We meet you where you are. And from there, we create something beautiful together.
The Old Wash Shed Studio
The Old Wash Shed Art Studio, nestled within Artful Transformations in Columbia City, Indiana, has undergone many transformations over the years—both in purpose and spirit. This humble building has worn many names and has welcomed countless visitors throughout its life.
It originally stood beside my childhood home. When my parents expanded the house in the early '90s, my dad relocated the structure to its current spot on the property. Once settled, he transformed it from a simple two-room wash shed and meat-hanging area into a clubhouse for my sister and me—a place we fondly named "The Playhouse."
In 2017, after my husband and I moved to the farm (affectionately known as Gradyville), I cleaned up the remnants of our teenage art—brightly painted graffiti and glowing blacklight messages—and repurposed the space into my soap shop, Black Willow Soaps, which operated there until earlier this year.
When I decided to close Black Willow Soaps, I began the next chapter for this storied building by reconditioning it as the Old Wash Shed Studio, now home to Artful Transformations. Here, the space serves as the perfect setting for art classes, workshops, and all sorts of creative endeavors.