People living on an Oxford estate have been discovering their creative sides and launched an exhibition of their artwork this week.

Aspiring artists living in Blackbird Leys have been working with the Blackbird Leys Art Group, Blag, to put on the exhibition The Dreams of Leys 'N' Tings.

Leys resident Karen Godwin, of Shepherds Hill, who helps run Blag, said the exhibition was the culmination of the group's project to get the community involved in art.

Ms Godwin, 36, said: "We opened up an art room in the Blackbird Leys Community Centre and we've been trying to get people to come in and have a go and be creative.

"We started running a printmaking workshop and people really got into. We encouraged them to carry on and make frames for the prints and then we thought it would be great to exhibit them."

Ms Godwin said she had been really pleased with the outcome and felt the exhibition was a great thing for the estate.

She said: "Things like this are great because they give something back to the estate and make people feel good about themselves. It gives them a sense of achievement.

"Blackbird Leys has had a negative image in the past, but this exhibition shows that we've got so much culture down here and people who want to change that impression."

The centrepiece of the exhibition, which was launched on SaturdayJune 7, are two 6ft by 6ft collages made up of smaller squares where residents have designed their dream houses.

There are also a number of drawings, paintings and textiles making up the exhibition that will be on display in the Glow Hall at the community centre until the end of June.

Mum-of-four Lorraine McNally, 43, is displaying her prints in the exhibition alongside some drawings by her four-year-old daughter Sarah - the youngest artist to take part.

She said: "I have never really done anything like this before and it has really opened my eyes to everything that's around me. I see something now and think, 'that would be good to draw'.

"Sarah got involved as well, she loves colouring and drawing and so I thought it would be nice to put her work up with ours. It's great for the area, it lifts the Leys and gives it a bit more colour."

Jeanine Parfitt, 37, of Saxifrage Square, has lived on the estate for the past 10 years and is also exhibiting her artwork.

She said: "The thing that I have thought since seeing all the work is that there are a lot of talented people on the estate.

"The exhibition looks so professional and everyone is so pleased with what we have achieved. We just want lots of people to come and see it now."