Santa Fe Women’s Retreat: Ghost Ranch, Pigments, and Georgia O’Keeffe
Our Santa Fe women’s retreat was about creativity more than mileage. Five days in New Mexico spent making things, mostly to prove to ourselves that we still could.
We started with a road trip through the desert, watching the color of the land shift for hours. Then we drove out to Ghost Ranch, the landscape that Georgia O’Keeffe painted for decades, and set up for a painting workshop right where she worked. Later, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in town filled in the rest of her story.
Making paint from the ground
The part I did not expect to love was the two-day pigment workshop, where we learned to make paint from the rocks and earth around us. Grinding pigment is slow and quiet and weirdly meditative. It makes you notice color and texture in a way you cannot unnotice. We rounded out the week with a photography workshop, pulling together everything we had been practicing.
What our Santa Fe women’s retreat looked like
Art galleries, a clay bar, and a city that seems to hum with the stuff. Long meals and stories under the desert stars. A group that reminded each other how innately creative we all are when we stop gatekeeping it from ourselves. We drove home inspired, which is exactly what we came for.
We are making pigment from stones again, this time on a women’s retreat in Joshua Tree.
The Santa Fe retreat on film
I filmed this short video myself during the retreat. If you want a feel for the week beyond the photos, start here.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Santa Fe women’s retreat based?
In and around Santa Fe, New Mexico, including a day at Ghost Ranch and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in town.
What did the retreat include?
A painting workshop at Ghost Ranch, a two-day make-your-own-pigment workshop, a photography workshop, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, art galleries, a clay bar, and a desert road trip.
Do I need to be an artist to come?
No. The whole idea is that everyone is creative, whether or not they call themselves an artist. You just need to show up curious and open.
Do you still host or photograph women’s retreats?
Yes. I help run and photograph small women’s and creative retreats like this one. If you want to plan one or have me document yours, reach out any time.
When is the best time to visit Santa Fe?
Fall is lovely. The light is warm, the desert cools off in the evening, and the art scene is in full swing. We went in October and it was perfect.
Thinking about a women’s retreat like this?
If you have been looking for a creative women’s retreat, a small group trip with real people and room to make things, or a photographer to come document one, this is the kind of thing I love being part of. Tell me what you have in mind and we will figure it out together.
More women’s retreats
Want to join the next one? See my upcoming retreats, or browse all of my women’s retreats. A few more from the archive:
- Grand Tetons, Wyoming
- Iceland (2024)
- Iceland (2025)
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Dolomites, Italy
- Asheville, North Carolina
- Bryce Canyon, Utah
- Vieques, Puerto Rico
- Tulum, Mexico
- Pacific Northwest
If you are thinking about coming on one, here is how my retreats work.
Be the first to comment