Ghost Ranch Retreat

I had the best week ever. I mean, EVER. I got to go to my beloved Ghost Ranch in Northern New Mexico, where Georgia O'Keffee lived and painted for decades. I took thousands of pictures, read in the library till all hours of the night, sketched, planned out paintings and my life, and had a generally amazing time. Here are just a couple of the beautiful scenes I saw at Ghost Ranch.I go to Ghost Ranch every chance that I can, thankfully it's just 1 hour 50 minutes from my home here in Albuquerque, but this time I stayed for a 3 day retreat, all alone! It was the single best thing that I've done for myself as an artist and I intend to go back for a week long retreat at least once a year, from now on.

I got amazing news when I returned home, that Ghost Ranch would like to use my photos in their marketing material. If you have a hero or heroine, and a place that you love beyond reason, you can understand my happiness at even being asked. I love Georgia O'Keeffe and her work, I cherish Ghost Ranch..every tree, every particle of sand. It's a magical, spiritual place and you can't go for any period of time and remained unchanged as a person. I do hope we can work it out together. Not much else would make me happier, than to participate in Ghost Ranch in any way whatsoever.

While I was at Ghost Ranch, I took a FAR AWAY shot of Georgia's house under the cliffs. It's not a good picture at all, but boy, it means the world to me. I love it. This house is not owned by Ghost Ranch, it's owned by a private business or something. They don't do tours here, unfortunately.

I still haven't taken the tour of Georgia's Abiquiu house and studio. I'm planning on it for next spring--I wasn't able to do it this time. I understand that you aren't allowed to take any pictures at all. I don't imagine that's changed, though, of course, I hope that it has.I know, this is another awful picture. I was taking it on the fly as I drove by in my pickup. This is Georgia's house in Abiquiu on the short cliff overlooking highway 84, across from Bode's general store, where she shopped and where I shopped while at Ghost Ranch. There's pretty much nothing in Abiquiu even now; same buildings: beautiful adobe church, post office, Bode's and some houses.