Emily Jung Miller

Cottonwood trees line the banks of the river valley at Kitchen Mesa, their leaves glowing brilliant yellow in the autumn sun.

Rising above the valley floor, sheer eroded cliff faces have separated into vertical columns, where a huge sandstone boulder is wedged in a crevice, dwarfed by the scale of the rockface. Kitchen Mesa is located on the Ghost Ranch property in northern New Mexico, a favorite location of artist Georgia O'Keeffe.

Layers of red and yellow sandstone capped by lighter gray limestone and gypsum tell the story of geologic time from the Triassic to the Jurassic periods, when this landscape was first a forested river valley, then windswept sand dunes, and finally flooded by a salty inland sea. Metallic gold paint adds sparkle to the yellow cliff faces.

Commissions to create new original artwork are currently closed. I will be reviewing my commission schedule for possible openings in February 2026.