New Mexico: The Final Chapter
Share
Carving wood, chasing gallery dreams, and one sneaky postcard drop…
The last leg of the trip landed us in New Mexico. The plan? Visit some galleries and get down to business.
Reality? Well… the plan kinda changed.
We pulled into Corrales, not far from Albuquerque, and stayed with Rosa — a beautiful soul and longtime friend of Mum’s. Rosa was the best. She had a full meal waiting, fresh towels, a made-up bed, and a warm shower ready for us after a few van-living days. Honestly, it felt like a five-star resort.
The next morning, we set off to Taos, a stunning little town packed with cool galleries. I chatted with a few owners, but most were heavily reliant on tourist traffic, and landscape art was the top seller. One gallery owner stood out — an absolute legend who told us all about his family’s history in music and his brother’s hit song that basically set them up for life. He runs the gallery now as a hobby, just for the love of art.
On our way back, we stopped in to meet one of the coolest people I’ve ever come across: Bobby Gottschall. A wildly talented sculptor working with stone, wood, and metal. And somehow, I got the privilege of a one-on-one lesson with him on wood carving — and now I’m obsessed. We spoke for hours. It honestly felt like we’d known each other for years.
After staying the night at Bobby’s, it was time to head back to Rosa’s. We spent the next couple days in a slower rhythm — peaceful sketching sessions, catching a local dance festival, and then… I met her neighbour.
Daniel Sandoval.
Let’s just say he got roped into an impromptu photo shoot. I convinced him to ditch the work clothes, throw on something cowboy-ish, and walk down to the river with me and his horses. That photo? Yeah — it’s now published in an international magazine. Not bad, hey?
He also casually had a remote control car track… and I spent a solid hour reliving my childhood, racing cars like I was ten years old again with my monster trucks.
The final few days of the trip took me just a few streets over to Lisa’s house — an awesome pottery artists I’d met twelve years ago in Fiji on a holiday. Turns out she now lives right near Rosa. Small world!
Lisa took me to Santa Fe, and holy heck — that place has the biggest collection of galleries I’ve ever seen. Streets and streets of them. It was overwhelming, honestly. Some of the art was the most incredible work I’ve ever laid eyes on.
And that’s when it hit me.
This — this — is what I came here for. To visit galleries. To try and get my work represented in the US.
But instead of feeling fired up, I felt small. Insignificant. Among thousands of other artists already on the walls of these incredible galleries.
I guess I thought that maybe being in a different country would feel… different. That maybe the art world would feel fresher, more open, more encouraging. But the truth is — the vibe was the same.
I'd walk in…
Get judged.
Ignored.
Talked down to.
Money talks, I suppose. And they could see I wasn’t there to buy. Just another artist. Just a window shopper.
So — I took matters into my own hands.
At the corner of every block, there were stands filled with books showing each gallery’s info, contact details, and the artists they represent.
And me?
Well, I took out my postcard-sized prints — with my details on the back — and slipped one into every single book… until I ran out.
Maybe nothing comes from it.
Maybe something does.
Either way, I left a little piece of Benzie behind. And that feels like a win to me.
from my time in new Mexico id love to bring something back for you, I’m excited to introduce you to Rosa, a guide who has helped thousands of people connect more deeply with themselves. Through her gentle and focused sessions, she supports people in releasing old patterns that no longer serve them, creating space for clarity, freedom, and alignment.
In her work, she explores what may be standing in the way of your true self, helping you feel more open, grounded, and at peace. To make it easy to explore if this is right for you, Rosa offers a free 15-minute consultation where you can ask questions and experience her approach firsthand.