Georgia O'Keeffe first visited New Mexico in 1929.
The visit marked a major change in the geography of her art. She was drawn to the region's high desert, adobe buildings, mountains, churches, bones, and intense light. New Mexico later became the setting most closely associated with her mature landscape paintings.
O'Keeffe did not immediately abandon New York after the trip. For years she divided her time between New York and New Mexico, usually spending the warmer months in the Southwest and returning east for part of the year. This seasonal pattern helped her maintain an established career while developing a new body of work.
The year 1929 is often confused with later dates connected to her New Mexico properties. She began visiting the region that year, spent increasing amounts of time there during the 1930s, and eventually made New Mexico her permanent home. Her first trip therefore predates her purchase of the Abiquiú house.