I am often asked about the trip I took to New Mexico, now almost two years ago. Below is an article, written by Starla on her website, Outwrite Living. It will serve double-duty in the retelling of my story and to give you a chance to meet her for yourself.
Thank you again, Starla. I appreciate you!!! Gaye
My Dear Starla,
Your post really touched me. I had a similar experience about a year ago with art overload.
I am an artist and have been most of my life. I have never once wondered what my style was or what I should be doing with my art until a year ago. This all started when I began looking at artwork everywhere I could and, in the beginning, it was a very good thing. I love art, I teach art, I live art so it was a natural thing to do. It was feeding my soul and I was gathering information to share with my students. I was looking at it for hours on end either on Facebook, in museums, galleries or books.
I don’t consider myself to be a person who is easily influenced by others so imagine my shock when I realized that I had begun to question my own artistic voice. Something I had never done since I first picked up a brush at 12 years old. Here I was, 57, and questioning now! What the heck???
Well, I had to escape. Escape any and all voices so I planned a solo trip to New Mexico. At 4:30am I took off toward one of the biggest and most rewarding adventures of my life! I drove straight there, stopping only for gas, and arrived at my destination 12 hours later.
I stayed a few nights in Santa Fe and had intended to look at the wonderful galleries on Canyon Road. Oddly I was having trouble timing everything I wanted to do and see the galleries, too. One morning I was again there too early so I decided to go to Albuquerque and catch them on the way back. Well, it never happened. I was so in awe of the scenery around me that I knew nothing inside their walls could ever compare to what I was seeing and feeling!!!
Then on to Taos for a few more days and even more awe! The whole experience was just what the doctor ordered! There is SO much to tell and so few words to describe it all!
Ten days of no other voices but nature’s and my own. It realigned me. I knew the answers to my questions all along, I just couldn’t hear them until then. Yes, I knew what I wanted and could again hear my own voice!
Thanks for listening to my story. I don’t know if you feel it relates to how you are feeling. Your post sure did resonate with how I was feeling a year ago. I’ve been to New Mexico three time in the past year and this last trip, which was for an entire month, two weeks of which I was alone, opened my eyes. The quiet time alone, where I was the only boss of me, put everything into perspective. I am more at peace now than at any time ever in my life.
Fondly, Gaye
Nature. Self. Quiet. “I am more at peace now than at any time ever in my life.”
Huh.
Oh, and this painting? It’s Gaye’s.
It’s called Adobe in Cerrillos, described in her own words as follows:
I love taking backroads, as they always reveal hidden treasures. This abandoned adobe building is one such treasure. I came upon it as I was poking around Cerrillos, New Mexico. I can’t help but wonder what tales it could tell.
Yeah, I think she’s onto something.
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