A HEXHAM artist is opening up her studio to the public in order to support the work of a local charity.

Printer Carol Nunan will open up her studio in Ochrelands Workshops, Hexham on Sunday, February 3.

She will be selling off some of her work in a clearance sale, with 30% of the proceeds going to the West Northumberland Food Bank.

The clearance sale will allow Carol to make space in her workshop for new work.

"I'm reducing the prices to I can add to the range," explained Carol. ""We have prints that just haven't sold.

"I've had them out in galleries and they keep coming back, and I need the space for new work.

"I decided to have it as an open studio, so people can buy the reduced prints but they can buy some new work if they want.

"The 30 per cent comes from the commission I have to pay galleries when I sell my work there."

The clearance sale, entitled "Art for Food," will run from 11am until 3pm - although Carol says if it's busy, she'll stay there until the last person leaves.

Carol opens up her studio every year in September to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support, but felt that this time the proceeds should go to a local cause.

She said: "With this studio clearance, we thought it would be better to find a local charity.

"We chose the foodbank because we're very aware that with universal credit being rolled out there's a good number of families who rely on the foodbank to put food on the table.

"When my son was living at home, we became very aware how hard it is to get benefits.

"If we hadn't been that safety net for him to have a roof over his head, I don't know what he would have done. "It really is very very difficult, and I think it's shocking that in Hexham, in Northumberland, and in the country people have to rely on foodbanks.

"We thought it would be the best cause to support."