As a portrait and figurative artist, I had only infrequently painted landscapes.  However, once the COVID Pandemic locked everything down, I had no choice but to change from indoor human models to cities and landscapes.  My view of painting outdoors changed from "too overwhelming" to "how wonderful to paint and still be safe!"  Suddenly, even my scraggly and dandelion-filled yard became a subject of fascination.  The local diners and triple deckers that I had simply driven by revealed their handsome history.  Of course, the legendary beauty of New England landscapes seduced me as well.  I now paint outdoors at least once per week (in warm months) and aim to toughen up to complete more cold weather paintings as well.