Georgia O’Keeffe spent summers painting in New Mexico from 1929 onward.
Her first extended visits began in 1929, when she traveled to northern New Mexico and found subjects that became central to her art. She painted cliffs, adobe buildings, desert plants, animal bones, and broad skies. The region offered a visual world very different from the New York cityscapes and flowers that had established her reputation.
O’Keeffe continued returning to New Mexico for many years before making the state her permanent home. She lived and worked at Ghost Ranch and later at Abiquiu, two places strongly associated with her mature career. New Mexico became more than a travel destination: it shaped her palette, subjects, working habits, and public identity.
The state is sometimes confused with Arizona or other Southwestern states because O’Keeffe’s imagery is often described broadly as desert art. Her best-known homes and landscapes, however, were in northern New Mexico.