First Year in Santa Fe, New Mexico
On October 06 2012 Maureen ['Mo'] and I celebrated our one year of living in Santa Fe. Most of you know that we moved from Augusta, GA to be near our son and his family. Chris is now an ordained Assistant Pastor at Christ Church of Santa Fe and with his wife Maggie, are raising four children ; Luke [1y/o]; Jack [4y/o]; Alex [7 y/o] and Maya [8 y/o]. We just wanted to help them and really get to know their grandparents.
Mo got her Bachelors Degree in Nursing and is now the managing nurse head in the oncology unit at Christus St. Vincent Hospital here. We had a house built next door to our kids and we're less than 3 miles to the hospital. She no longer has to work night shift and has holidays and a minimum of 3 weeks of paid vacation.
In January of 2012 I moved into an area that allows teaching area and small gallery and office space. I teach watercolor classes Wednesday and Thursday mornings [10-12:30pm] and have a life drawing class Monday nights [7-9pm]. When I'm not teaching I rent the studio/teaching area to one other acrylic abstract painter. He teaches in the studio on Tuesdays and Fridays - pretty much the whole day. So far, this has been working well in paying the rent.
I am finding demographically the Santa Fe population able to afford lessons are more mobile and spend as much away from Santa Fe. Living here and also someplace else does not let them 'commit' to lessons like my Augusta students. Hence, with fewer people able to commit I'm re-thinking my 'Business Plan".
Mo and I agree I need to branch out and promote more national and international workshops. I may be in your area soon - be watching! We all know that if one closes we have to open another!
