Newly arrived, and unable to do much else in a locked-down country, I explored this new land, drinking in its beauty. The teeming flowers, chirping birds, and flitting butterflies in spring; the bounties of the fruit-laden trees in the summer; the stunning colours of fall; the crisp, sparkling, snowy winter; the breathtaking hues of the sunsets; the ever-changing, shifting, moody skies – all compelled me to pick up my paints again. The sheer joy of painting – forgotten for decades as life got in the way – I found again when life was at a standstill. And for that, I am ever grateful.