As Bridport has such a big arts community, we thought we would ask some artists how the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns have affected them this year.

Kit Glaisyer

We're all adapting to a changing world, and the art world is no exception. For me, as an artist, it has certainly been a challenging time, but also a positive road-test for my new venue, 'Bridport Contemporary' at 11 Downes Street in central Bridport, which serves as both my studio and gallery.

As I'm always busy working on commissions, my gallery was only ever intended to open for two days a week, and by appointment at other times, so it's a model that seems particularly suited to the 'new normal'.

Alongside my own work, I show a selection of West Country artists including Bjork Haraldsdottir, Gerry Dudgeon, and Boo Mallinson. I have large windows overlooking the street, so during this second lockdown, I've set up a towering installation of ceramics by Bjork to entertain passers-by. See examples at bridportcontemporary.com and @bridportcontemporary on Instagram.

During the first lockdown, I made the most of the circumstances by working, undistracted, on a number of poignant paintings that seem to chart the emotional rollercoaster that we were all going through, and which I now call The Theatrical Landscape.

This series of paintings are all vistas from Eggardon Hill, an Iron Age hillfort that stands to the east of Bridport and commands breath-taking views across the valleys below. The public response to this new series has been particularly positive and has now led to a new series of commissioned landscape paintings.

You can view these works at kitglaisyer.com and @kitglaisyer on Instagram.

Marion Taylor

As an artist my day to day activities have not changed much, painting is a solitary occupation so it's been a case of Radio 4 on' and get to work.

If anything, I have produced more work than usual and have used the extra time that before the pandemic would have been filled with teaching art classes, ballet and coffee with friends, with exploring other media in particular ceramics and collage.

Collage in particular has allowed me to channel some of the emotions that have arisen due to the virus such as anxiety and solitude into sometimes 'wacky' images. I thrive on working alone but also need social interaction with friends and other artists - not to mention hugs.

Unfortunately, exhibitions have had to be cancelled, Six Bridport Artists and Artists of the Jurassic Coast at Eype Centre for the Arts and Dorset Art Weeks, hopefully all being well the latter will run next year.

I do sell online, mainly via Instagram - @mariontaylorart and from my website which has a shop mariontaylorart.co.uk

Caroline Ireland

When you earn your income largely from selling your own art work, it's been a very challenging time.

We normally plan at least a year ahead with exhibiting opportunities and open studios, all of which were impacted by the Covid situation. These were all either postponed or cancelled during the first lockdown.

Then as galleries opened up again it was possible to arrange pop-up events, with Covid precautions in place so that people could again see art in safety. Though not everyone felt comfortable about this.

In the meantime, we were all making more of online platforms and learning to diversify. But there is nothing like engaging with your audience and for the public seeing work 'in the flesh' as it were.

David Brooke and I were due to have a small pop-up exhibition in Artyfacts Studios in St Michael's Lane just before the second lockdown. We put it up on the Tuesday and took it down on Wednesday afternoon! We are hoping to have another slot there in the new year. But the worry is of course that things might go on longer than expected and will have a big impact on galleries and other outlets.

Otherwise, we both have work in galleries which were just getting going again and then had to close.

Elizabeth Sporne

I have been steadily working throughout, I have commissions on the go as well.