Georgia O'Keeffe spent most summers from 1929 onward in New Mexico.
O'Keeffe first visited New Mexico in 1917, but the region became a sustained part of her working life after a 1929 summer trip. She returned repeatedly, initially traveling from New York and later making New Mexico her permanent home. The state's cliffs, deserts, adobe buildings, churches, and animal bones became central subjects.
Her paintings of the area are not simple topographical records. O'Keeffe selected and rearranged forms, enlarged details, and used intense color and simplified shapes to create highly personal images. The stark landscape also offered a strong contrast to the urban environments associated with her New York years.
The state is sometimes confused with Arizona or Utah because all three are known for dramatic southwestern scenery. O'Keeffe's biography specifically centers on northern New Mexico, especially the communities and landscapes around Abiquiú and Ghost Ranch. Her former homes and studios there are now preserved as historic places and museums.