Hi Aatos,
Welcome to the forum! I am a newbie myself, but I read posts here everyday and feel the fellowship which sustains me after churchgoing (still doing that, watching and waiting to see how God brings me out - he seems to be doing it gently for family and friends' sakes).
I have only been to New Mexico once and loved it. Been to Arizona several times and I would love to move to the Southwest for winter months. I live in beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, so I get my "greens", but I love the different vistas including desert in Arizona and New Mexico.
I am an artist, too -- an "archaic" oil painter, although I don't often use traditional methods but play around with dripping, scraping, and using the palette knife instead of brushes. I also do graphite portraits, large - 16 x 20. Been selling my work for the past six years or so, and starting to get into galleries and national shows, but not making enough to live on yet! Luckily I have a very supportive husband plus a part-time job teaching art and math. Do you have a website or blog that shows your work?
Look forward to hearing more about your journey in the faith!
Karen