The first time we went to Santa Fe and headed north to Ghost Ranch, I was awestruck by the incredible scenery. The terrain starts to change as you near Abiquiu with the rock formations becoming more colorful, jagged and varied, and the light seemed to become purer, too. In order to capture the sense of the vast open landscape and magnificent skies found here, I chose a panorama format for this painting. I not only wanted to capture the rugged beauty of New Mexico, but also the excitement of discovery and the anticipation of what’s to come.