Post-Land of Enchantment
and my accidental National Park Bender
She went West again!
If you’ve been subscribing for a bit, you’ll know that I've done some sort of annual solo desert trip the past three years. In the past I've been to Marfa and Joshua Tree to paint murals at airbnbs, with the most earnest of intentions to additionally work on my own desert landscapes. I left those trips with completed murals, gratitude for free spots to stay, a head (and camera roll) full of inspiration- and blank, unpainted pads of watercolor paper. I found myself too worn out from the mural painting to create any of my own work, so I just would soak in the scenery (with a margarita in hand) and tell myself that I would create the inspired work back in the Savannah studio. (and I did!!)
This year was going to be different. It was going to be a true painting trip. A real residency. Instead of exchanging my mural services for a place to stay, I was going to watch a golden retriever in New Mexico and stay at a house for free through the Trusted Housesitters app. I would be in a beautiful Southwest area watching Amber the dog while her retired-age owners went on vacation. It was going to be the perfect environment to stay put and work on a whole new desert series.
Plot Twist!!!!
The week before I was supposed to fly to New Mexico, I got a call from Amber’s kind owner. To put it simply, Amber is old and the vet expected she was going to die in the next week. Yikes! The pet owner communicated well about the situation and also had some options for me. He said I could
a) be a GUEST in their home while they stayed with Amber for the week or
b) I take their vacation in Utah ( for no charge) while they stayed with Amber.
While I was absolutely touched by the offer to stay with these strangers, I figured it would be better to give them their mourning space. So off to Utah I went! (Spoiler alert: Amber didn’t die! Yay!)
The New Itinerary
Here’s how the week turned out:
Land in Albuquerque
Take rental car to 2 nights in Santa Fe
Abiquiu, NM (2 nights)
Brian Head, Utah (4 nights)
Snowflake, Arizona (1 night pit stop)
Flew out of Albuquerque
Day 1: Santa Fe
Santa Fe was so pleasant- there were earthy retired couples everywhere and it made me feel so safe. I paid homage to Georgia O’Keeffe at her museum and learned how if she didn’t like the look of a tree in a scene she was painting, she just omitted it! GOOD!
Day 3: Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch
My friend Haley informed me that Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu was O’Keeffe’s main inspo spot, so I trekked north to a little Airbnb in the middle of nowhere near a canyon (but don’t worry, it had a hot tub). Ghost Ranch is a like a state park/summer camp hybrid nature center where O’Keeffe would spend time. The same earthy retired ladies from Santa Fe were now taking up oil painting here. Catch me at Ghost Ranch in 2063.
Day 5: Brian Head, Utah and Cedar Breaks National Monument
Honestly, Aspens aren’t inspiring to me. So I wasn’t stoked on Utah. I even tried to set up a painting station in Amber’s timeshare condo but the view wasn’t doing it for me. But then I realized that I was 7 minutes from Cedar Breaks National Monument and it was all okay.
Day 6: Zion National Park
I realized that I was about an hour drive from many Natty Parks so I got a Parks pass and now it’s my new personality trait. Zion was very pretty but CROWDED like DISNEY WORLD.
Day 7: Bryce Canyon National Park
The next day I popped over to Bryce Canyon, which was healing. Gorgeous gorgeous views and I found parking. Isn’t it the worst when photos can’t do the colors justice?? Also look at the roots on that TREE!! A desert miracle! I’m also so thankful for the 3 mile hikes I went on every day in Utah, after I let go of the sketchbook guilt I arrived with.
Day 8: Grand Canyon National Park
I stopped at the ol GC on the way out of Utah. What I didn’t expect is that the North Rim is in a forest until the very last minute when you get to the rim. North Rim= Furry Rim, I’ve decided. I didn’t spend much time here but gazing was enough for the GCNR (Grand Canyon North Rim).
This trip really was a gift despite the change of plans. I would never have thought I’d see so much American Beauty in one week. I’m glad I decided to get out there and take it in, instead of staying inside an off-season ski condo all day. I think I just need to accept that these trips are wonderful for inspiration and not-wonderful for getting actual paintings done, and that’s okay. Took three years to figure that one out!
I felt almost greedy trying to soak up every angle of these views, getting sketches and colors down on the spot. I saw every canyon as a potential work, while wondering if people would want to buy this work. I mean, I got to eat! It’s all a part of the art business, I’m certain, but I truly felt so torn between capturing beauty and just enjoying it. I’m still figuring it out, but my week got a lot better once I stopped putting so much pressure on myself to capture every bit of it. I’m trying to trust that the inspiration will stay with me and evolve to create work that only I can create. If I wanted to capture the parks perfectly, I’d be a photographer.
Lesson learned: enjoy the inspiration process and all that comes with it. It’s okay not to know what the end product will be. My soul needs to be filled up if I’m going to create art that is true and good. Also I really need to stop checking whole suitcases full of art supplies.
I’ll have more to say about this trip later when I actually make work about it, but let’s move on to some seasonal brass tacks.
I’m now selling wholesale online!
I’ve decided to start selling my prints wholesale to small businesses via the platform Faire! If you own a shop (or know someone that does), feel free to check out and share my link below. Most items I offer on my Etsy shop are on there- plus some western prints that I don’t offer on Etsy!
Upcoming Markets in Savannah!
I’m excited to be at these two local markets in a couple of weeks! Come say hello at Savannah Night Market on Thursday, October 19th and Isle of Hope Art and Music Fest Saturday, October 21st. I’ll have some of my classic prints, as well as some new western landscape prints, some greeting card grab bags, and Christmas ornaments!
As always, thanks so much for reading along! I turn thirty on Saturday and I’m so grateful for this life I’m living and the people I get to share it with. Twenty-year-old Allison would be in awe and that feels nice. I’ve got some new projects and events on the queue that I’ll share with you in the upcoming weeks. Please go hug a pumpkin and eat a corndog for me this month! Tis the season!
Much love- from the only millennial at Ghost Ranch (you know, the one wearing HOT PINK),
Allison Hall, age 30
Love your travels! My part of the world. Yes I am one of those older ladies you saw in Santa Fe! Smile
Keep the Spirit Alive. Happy Birthday fellow Libran.