When I lived in Santa Fe many years ago, I was acutely aware of the presence of Georgia O'Keeffe. I don't recall if I found her work before visiting Santa Fe for the first time, or if that visit inspired my search into her life and work. But she had a profound effect on me nevertheless.
O'Keeffe is an artist's artist, and she's a layman's artist. Her works hold so much beauty, and her life distilled her craft. She was what all artists hope to be - independent, fearless, dedicated, focused and prolific. And the public adores what came out of that. She is a master.
During my "Santa Fe years", I studied her art and her life. I read every book I could find about her and let the essence of it all seep into my skin, to my bones and my soul. I walked the neighborhoods and surrounding trails nearly every day too. Now when I look at her work, I smell pinyon pine and hear mineral earth crunching beneath my feet. And I remember the holiness of that place--the "city of faith".
On a recent trip to Santa Fe, I visited the Georgia O'Keeffe museum which didn't exist yet when I lived there. I walked through alone, looking at each painting and reading the descriptions. Then I walked through again, just sitting with the images. Letting them soak in and move me as they did all those years ago. And as I did, I resolved to spend more time in Santa Fe, to let the city of faith inspire me again, to let its light seep into me and awaken long forgotten spaces in my heart.
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O'Keeffe painted many subjects as well as abstractions. Despite being most known for her flowers, my favorites are among the landscapes, bones, buildings and abstracts that she painted while living in Abique. I've included photos that I could find of some of these.
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