A FREELANCE artist from Oxford will have her work bought to life on buses throughout the county after winning a competition.

Karis Harrington won the GreenART prize run by Stagecoach, which invited local artists to create a piece of art inspired by the environment.

Her entry, "Shake The Tree", will now be displayed on the company's buses in Oxfordshire as well as its new green-engine fleet.

The 33-year-old said: "As a non-driving, small wage-earning, frugal living Oxonion the competition struck a chord.

"I have relied on public transport throughout my adulthood in Oxford.

"I have lived in the city on and off for 15 years and have tried to create a lifestyle that is cheap to manage, but rich in everything this city has to offer."

The competition was launched in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council to celebrate Low Carbon Oxford Week, a green initiative that took place in June.

The winning entry was chosen by the public after all the artwork was uploaded to the company's Facebook page, and people were invited to "like" their favourite piece.

Wolvercote resident Ms Harrington, whose entry received 600 "likes", said she was "ecstatic" to find out she had won the top prize.

She added: " “I have just moved onto a boat, where I am setting up my studio, and that means instantly becoming greener and more energy-savvy.

"It's the beginning of a sustainable, satisfying existence, so winning the competition is a very personal triumph."

On Tuesday, Stagecoach launched 21 new "green-engine" buses on Oxford routes, which will have engines that reduce emissions, while also including USB ports to allow customers to charge electronic devices during their journey.

The buses will run on routes from Oxford to Blackbird Leys, Kidlington, Rose Hill, Barton and Risinghurst.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire managing director Martin Sutton said: "We’re always striving to do the best we can for the environment and look for new ways to achieve our goals, therefore I couldn’t be more delighted to see Karis’ artwork inside our new Euro 6 engine buses.

"I hope our passengers will see the detail captured in 'Shake the Tree' and feel inspired to make one small change to protect our city."

All entries are still available to view on Facebook and are available for sale until August 31, with part of the sale price donated to Helen and Douglas House.