Le Morada, Abiquiu - from memory by J. Carol GardnerTo see Georgia O'Keefe's home at Abiquiu was a special treat for both of us. The tours fill up quickly and only 12 people are allowed to go at a time, 3 tours a day. When we made our reservations on Monday, the earliest we could go was Thursday. Fortunately, we were called yesterday and got bumped in to the 9:30 tour this morning.
We were not allowed to take journals, purses, cameras - the privacy of Ms. O'Keefe's home and the town of Abiquiu is respected, and when you get to her home you understand why - this is a place of solitude.
The oldest part of the adobe house is from the 18th century, and parts have been updated, repaired and restored - the house has remained 5000 square feet but most of the rooms originally would have been smaller. Several interior walls were removed, making rooms such as the living room more spacious and large windows were installed which seemed to merge the building, the land and the light. She kept the mud floors and always wore soft soled shoes while living there. And certainly - what a thrill to see the artist's studio!
After the tour, Carol and I ate at Bode's General Store (and it really is just that - a general store) in Abiquiu, then on to "The White Place" or "Plaza Blanco" which is a site about 10 minutes from Bode's where Georgia O'Keefe sketched and painted. Another breathtaking moment - a place where we would have loved to spend some time sketching but there was no shade and the sun was hot and brilliant:
Then we returned to Ghost Ranch to paint a bit. Below are some of our watercolor sketches from today:
Adobe Welcome - Ghost Ranch by Amelia Whaley
Finally return to Santa Fe for an early dinner and to get rested up for Taos tomorrow!
We were not allowed to take journals, purses, cameras - the privacy of Ms. O'Keefe's home and the town of Abiquiu is respected, and when you get to her home you understand why - this is a place of solitude.
The oldest part of the adobe house is from the 18th century, and parts have been updated, repaired and restored - the house has remained 5000 square feet but most of the rooms originally would have been smaller. Several interior walls were removed, making rooms such as the living room more spacious and large windows were installed which seemed to merge the building, the land and the light. She kept the mud floors and always wore soft soled shoes while living there. And certainly - what a thrill to see the artist's studio!
After the tour, Carol and I ate at Bode's General Store (and it really is just that - a general store) in Abiquiu, then on to "The White Place" or "Plaza Blanco" which is a site about 10 minutes from Bode's where Georgia O'Keefe sketched and painted. Another breathtaking moment - a place where we would have loved to spend some time sketching but there was no shade and the sun was hot and brilliant:
The White Place
Then we returned to Ghost Ranch to paint a bit. Below are some of our watercolor sketches from today:
The Pedernal from Ghost Ranch by J. Carol Gardner
Adobe Welcome - Ghost Ranch by Amelia WhaleyFinally return to Santa Fe for an early dinner and to get rested up for Taos tomorrow!
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