This past month (March 2026), I took a solo trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico to write and paint. Specifically, I had asked Brad Smith on Canyon Road if he would take a chance on me and teach some of his painting techniques. He stretched me when he asked me to use colors that I typically reject in my work, and he taught me to “just leave it” when I was painting with my palette knife. His gallery assistants, Molly and Mia, were a delight to share the day with as well.

While I was there, I soaked in the art in the galleries on Canyon Road, but I did not squeeze in the Georgia O’Keefe museum in Santa Fe, so I knew I would have to come back.

My time was well spent in Brad Smith’s gallery this trip.

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On day 3, after taking a thank you note and a pint of fresh squeezed orange juice to Brad, I began my trek back to Colorado. On my first day in town, I had offered to bring him a coffee, he kindly refused and said, “I am more of an orange juice drinker”. I took a mental note of his drink choice, and added it to my expression of gratitude.

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++On my way home, Google Maps took me a different route - and I went with it.

About 40 minutes into my return, I saw the Georgia O’Keefe Home and Studio Museum and I did a quick u-turned. I pulled into the parking lot, and miraculously got the final spot on a tour leaving in 10 minutes. Tours can be booked 3 months out, so I was grateful and took the spot.

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Seeing Ms. O’Keefe’s home, studio, and overall design aesthetic was very impactful. She was a modern woman, and she expressed herself seamlessly. Her courtyard captivated me, and the view from the ground of dirt, up the adobe wall, and into the skies was truly mesmerizing.

The image I cannot get out of my head from this trip, and all the things I saw, is this painting - the place where the adobe wall meets the sky.

But