A CORNISH artist has been shortlisted in a national competition revealing how new businesses have been faring through the lockdown.

Elisa Trueman entered the PopUp Business School Summer Photo Challenge with a picture of her painting of the two bridges across the River Tamar.

Elisa explained how she started her own business quite late on in life, despite always being a keen artist.

’As a teen, I was accepted to study art at Southampton, but ended up doing a brief stint in the forces, instead. I thought I could never be an artist and instead traveled and had a career and family,’ she said.

’A couple of years ago, I was doodling pictures for my grandkids and my daughter said I should sell them. I didn’t think my Spider-Man would be my best work, but it made me want to paint again,

’I made a Facebook site, my work colleagues started to commission paintings, and it has grown from there.’

"I was asked to take some of my work to a gallery in Plymouth. Then coronavirus hit, which put a stop to that. Initially, I went from sales of four or five paintings a month to far fewer. Understandable, given the huge effect on people’s jobs and finances. However, I am fortunate as, after a couple of weeks, the sales picked up again.

’My art has changed as I’ve gone from abstract flowers to doing more beaches and harbour villages, which seem really popular. My next plan is to move into merchandise like tea towels and mugs with my designs on them.’

The PopUp Business School helps people from all walks of life to launch their own businesses. This summer, it’s asking people across the UK to take a photograph which illustrates their business, or business idea, with the chance to win up to £200.

CEO Simon Paine said: ’Business has changed so much in the past few months, we thought it’d be really interesting to get a glimpse into their world.

’We know many businesses have moved their operations online and are interacting and serving customers in a different way.

’However, due to lockdown, this has all been happening behind closed doors. It’s going to be great to take a look inside.’

The competition is open for entries until midnight on August 31. You can find out more and submit your own entry at: https://www.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/photo-challenge.html

Meanwhile people in Devon and Cornwall can sign up to a free training event with the PopUp Business School. The five-day course starts on July 27, and is a live, online programme for anyone who’s interested in starting their own business. For more info visit https://events.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/SWDevonJuly2020