Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Ghost Ranch, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s House & Studio

A little context is necessary before getting to the crux of my blog. I enjoyed and appreciated Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings for years since I began painting. I get a little smile on my face when I hear people talk about her flower paintings looking like “lady parts” knowing that a part of her WOULD NOT appreciate that inference (she expressed as much in her lifetime), but another part of her knew that the talk would generate publicity and curiosity about her other paintings. I then bought a wonderful biography about her that made me respect her even more. I even tried some interpretations of a few of her paintings. I’m pleased with a couple! The rest? Well, I was still learning. ;) 

Georgia O’Keefe was a Midwesterner like me, and she did the best she could considering the times in which she was learning her way as an artist and fighting any influences or people that attempted to dissuade her from pursuing her true self AS AN ARTIST. However, I didn’t learn to love Georgia O’Keeffe until my friend Kevin came into my life. She was his absolute favorite artist. Even though he had his own artistic style, he recreated some of her iconic works that I now own. We had always planned a trip to New Mexico to immerse ourselves in Georgia O’Keeffe for at least a few days. However, that trip never happened. Kevin died on June 23, 2024. You may if you wish read my tribute to him here. When the opportunity arose for me to travel there with a wonderful group of people who would appreciate and support how emotional that trip would be for me, and I could make that trip fit into my work schedule (yes, I still have to have a “9-5” job), I jumped at the chance to go. I even took one of Kevin’s paintbrushes with me.

Now that the context is established, let’s get on with the blog. I spent the night in Santa Fe before meeting up with my group, and of course I went to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. It was literally behind where I stayed! Some pictures are here.

Sunday, May 11, Mother’s Day, it was off to Ghost Ranch to meet up with my group and REALLY begin to soak up the atmosphere that inspired Georgia O’Keeffe. I’d never been to New Mexico before, and the nature and views had me walking around for the next days with my mouth hanging open. This picture is what I could see when I opened the front door of where I was staying; I’ve included others, too.

I took a wonderful Ghost Ranch tour of the actual locations that inspired many of Georga O’Keeffe’s paintings. Seeing her Ghost Ranch house was part of the tour and not accessible to everyone, so it was doubly special! Here are some pictures from the tour.

My next-to-the-last day there was the tour of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio in Abiquiu, NM - about 20 minutes away from Ghost Ranch. The site has largely remained unchanged since when she lived there…everything from the furniture to her cookware to what was hung on the walls, etc. And, to add a cherry to the proverbial wonderful sundae of an experience of seeing that, I even made a friend! Please enjoy these pictures from there.

Those days in New Mexico changed my life for many reasons. My art inspirations and guides for many years were a duo - Jackson Pollock and Frida Kahlo. Now? It’s a trio - Jackson Pollock, Frida Kahlo, and Georgia O’Keeffe. As mentioned before, Georgia O’Keeffe and I are both Midwesterners. Both of us spent and have spent many years trying to feel our way through what our art was all about for us. And, after having seen New Mexico and specifically Ghost Ranch for the first time, I GET IT; I ABSOLUTELY GET IT. I WILL go back; it’s just a matter of when.