ARTIST Elaine Kazimierczuk usually spends her summers visiting meadows and taking photos to take back to her studio and paint but lockdown has changed everything.

Ms Kazimierczuk, 67, from Osney Island, Oxford, has been an artist for five years and her speciality is painting semi-abstract meadows.

Although she is well-known for her colourful landscapes inspired by Oxford Botanic Garden and summer wildflower hotspots, lockdown has meant she is currently unable to get out for long walks to take pictures of these landscapes herself.

Instead of venturing out to Iffley Meadows, Bishop’s Sutton, near Winchester, Minster Lovell and Burford she is now calling on the public to send these pictures to her on Twitter and Instagram using #paintmymeadow.

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The artist launched the campaign last week and is hoping to display her work from the paint my meadow initiative after lockdown.

Ms Kazimierczuk said: “Knowing I can’t get out to see my favourite meadows and flowers is frustrating, but I thought many people live near or have beautiful meadows of their own, which perhaps they visit on their daily exercise, and I hoped they might be kind enough to share some photos of them with me.

"I also hope others will be inspired to paint their own meadows this summer, while so many people are trying new things, and share those images on social media, too.”

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The abstract artist has received pictures from people across Oxfordshire and even a picture of a meadow from Australia.

Currently working in her garden, as she cannot use her usual studios in Magdalen Road, Ms Kazimierczuk has completed a painting of a photo sent in by Alderney Wildlife Trust for the paint my meadow series.

The Oxford artist has also started painting a bluebell woods, but she is looking for many more pictures of meadows from those who can get out on walks.

Ms Kazimierczuk said: “What I am really looking for are bright joyful, uplifting images, flower meadows in particular at this time of year - they are just about to come into bloom.

"It is just lovely to look at them even on a screen it is uplifting.”

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The Oxford artist describes her botanical paintings as semi-abstract. She said: “The joy of an abstract painting is the brain has to do some work to look into it to find the shapes and the patterns and things, so I try to avoid too much botanical detail."

Ms Kazimierczuk is hoping people get involved, get creative and get outside taking pictures, she is also encouraging people to start painting their own meadows.

To send a picture of a local meadow or of a previous holiday picture to Ms Kazimierczuk, post it to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #paintmymeadow.