The pandemic hit four months before the work was due. Most, if not all of us were just beginning to process the effects that the pandemic was having on our lives and, more specifically, on our work. With social interaction severely restricted we were forced to slow down. Our viewpoints and our views of the world around us were changing, metaphorically and for real as we turned inward. One result --I began to notice and respond to things that I was once too distracted to see. These things, big and small, were beginning to creep into my work. Eyes, faces, critters and birds. I loved this development and the solace of working in the studio, however the input that comes from interacting with others and the world around me was sorely missed and this too had a profound impact on my art.