A competition for sixth-form students to create art inspired by the Oxfordshire countryside drew praise for the high quality of submissions.

The Stephen Hart Memorial Art Competition, now in its second year, was organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), which staged a prize-giving ceremony at Oxford Town Hall.

The contest is named in honour of Stephen Hart, who died in 2006, aged 73.

He was a long-time member of the CPRE’s Henley and Mapledurham district, and an agricultural adviser to the campaign.

At Saturday’s awards event, Lord Bradshaw, the president of the CPRE Oxfordshire, and Mr Hart’s widow Vanessa announced George Lloyd-Jones, from St Edward’s School in Oxford, as the overall winner.

The 16-year-old AS-Level student, who is studying art, Spanish, biology and maths, collected £250.

His two oil paintings, of pathways through fields, have also been put on displayed in the Town Hall gallery.

He said: “It was really, really strange. I’ve never won anything like this before — I was really surprised.

“I was walking in Shropshire and came across these paths through a corn field and it reminded me of places around Oxfordshire.

“Both my parents are artists and I love art.

“There’s some lovely countryside around St Edward’s, such as Port Meadow, which inspire you to paint.”

George, whose father Peter teaches art at the school, hopes to study art at University College Falmouth and make a career out of painting.

Amanda Bucknill, the event co-ordinator, praised the standard of entries to the competition, which was open to all AS and A2 students in the county.

She said: “We were impressed by the high quality of the art work. The range of responses was varied, both in subject matter and material.”

Helena Whall, CPRE Oxfordshire’s campaign manager, said: “CPRE saw this exhibition as an exciting opportunity to engage with young people in the county.

“The exhibition gives us a rare glimpse of how young people today understand and appreciate the Oxfordshire landscape.

“We hope George Lloyd Jones will continue to take an active interest in his local countryside.”

Runners up, who will all receive a CPRE membership pack, were: Sebastian Inglis Jones (Radley College), Poppy Bethell (Headington School), Miriam Carter Fraser (St Helen & St Katherine’s School, Abingdon), Melissa de Haan, Matt Welfare, Edmund Ho, Charlie Yearly, Jeremy Pattie and Mark Brackenbridge (all from Shiplake College).

tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk