Santa Fe - New Mexico - My Hometown

“Santa Fe, New Mexico”

My Hometown -

“Echo Leta Johnson - A True Work Of Art.” Circa 1999. A tagline once used on the first website I produced, built and managed to display my art. Who am I to conceit such a statement? I am Echo. Santa Fe, New Mexico bred and proud as hell to be from this magical city.

Santa Fe is THE largest US art market in terms of dollar sales and invariably recognized as the premier destination to travel to, acquire art and immerse yourself in the richness of New Mexico history, culture, cuisine and industry. The renowned Georgia O'Keeffe, an American artist known as the "Mother of American modernism," known for her paintings of enlarged flowers and New Mexico landscapes, lived and died in Santa Fe. Santa Fe is #1 on the list of 30 most creative small cities in America.

Santa Fe is an intricate web of cultures, vibrant colors, rich and neglected history, locally owned small businesses composed of levels of craftsmanship you will only find in the quaint city of gold. Native American jewelry, colorful clothing that you would never be caught dead in as a local, sprawling estates that serve as second homes to the one percenters of this world. A collective of art, cuisine, breathtaking landscapes, powerful, awe inspiring skies and world renowned sunsets. The scent of Pinon trees and roasting Chile wafts through the air daily. And the food is unlike anything you will find elsewhere in the world. Santa Fe prides itself on its cuisine. Green and Red Chile is a staple at any restaurant you decide to visit and you will always be asked; “Red, Green or Christmas on that?” Christmas is the ultimate, as the flavors and consistency are vastly different from one another. And it’s gonna be spicy, that you can count on.

The locals are uniquely different from any other place in the world as well. They are fiercely proud to be of Northern New Mexico descent. There are traditions, festivals, pieces of land and quaint adobe homes that have been a part of the Northern New Mexican culture for centuries, and have been passed down from generation to generation. Whether it’s a coveted recipe for “Grandmas Biscochitos,” an intricate Native American Indian headdress, a small adobe casita located in downtown Santa Fe, these are pieces of our heritage, our ethnicity, our history and our culture. And we protect them with all our might to ensure that they will continue to be passed down for many more generations to come.

There are a multitude of vibrant colors that are everywhere in the small city of Gold. A name the Conquistadors gave the tiny village of Santa Fe when discovered. Whether its artwork, sculptures, houses or lowriders. You can rest assured that the locals will proudly display an example of this inherent culture that runs through their veins. You see there is just no other place in the world quite like Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can feel the pulse of a powerful energy that pulsates from the land, from the skies, from the people. It’s a spiritual energy that is profound on so many levels. It's hard to explain.

And for that very reason I have been touched. Moved by the beauty and all the glorious power that comes from Santa Fe. My affinity for the culture, the colors, the understanding of true art flows through my veins. My eyes have become my lens as I observe and capture the world around me, like a camera capturing an image. I am ART. I create ART. I have a lover affair with ART. My life is ART. Thank you Santa Fe for graciously providing that to me. For that I am eternally grateful and extremely proud to call Santa Fe, New Mexico my home!