Ghost Ranch Inspiration

It was the most memorable stop on the whole tour through New Mexico with the ASP (American Society of Photographers) group, and impacted me way more than I would have ever expected. I had heard of Georgia O’Keefe and seen her artwork, which was pretty amazing, but didn’t know that much about her life or her passion- or the places she lived like Ghost Ranch.

And even now, I don’t remember all the fine details of the stories we heard, but the two day stay on Ghost Ranch, in Abiquiu, New Mexico will be with me forever.

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Georgia O’Keefe was a watercolor artist and she lived in New York and then the desert in the 1930’s through the end of her life at age 98, capturing its beauty in amazing watercolors and pastels. She lived a hard life, and often lonely, but her artwork became a beautiful outpouring of the inspiration of nature. We took a tour through the ranch and was delighted to see the exact mountain and rock formations she painted decades ago. 

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But the tour of her home was truly incredible. It was pristine and clean and so inspiring in ways I can’t even put into words. Unfortunately there were no photographs allowed inside the home, so I only have outside views, but wow…..such an inspiration in design. 

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I chose to shoot mostly with B&W Infrared because of the dramatic sun and the bold clean shapes. Her home had beautiful lush gardens (from which she painted so many flowers), and it literally wrapped around a protected courtyard within. It was clean and artistically arranged and even had the famous “ladder to the moon” leaning against the wall inside. (I’ll blog more about that later!) But I was so visually and spiritually impacted by her home, I plan to recreate some structures on my property, someday, to look similar.

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It’s intriguing how being around people who carry creativity, [or the works themselves] can impact us. Just by being with a person with enthusiasm or passion about art can inspire you and even “rub off on you”!  Images and experiences, especially when accompanied by emotional triggers are powerful to change our perspective and even the way we see forever. So make an effort to see artists and their spaces, (and the art of course), and spend time with people who inspire and create- ones with passion for art and who see differently. In general, it’s life-giving to hang out with creative, positive people, right?

And if you ever get to Santa Fe, New Mexico and have a few hours to drive north, certainly plan to take a tour of her home and check out Ghost Ranch too. You will be inspired indeed.

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