TALIA Russell, an Addingham based silk screen print artist is returning to her native New Zealand after nine years abroad and is having a studio clearance sale from her home studio in Addingham on Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26 from 10am til 4pm.

Inspired by the local landscape and the Yorkshire Dales, Talia has created prints of local icons such as Beamsley Beacon, The Cow and Calf rocks in Ilkley and the viaduct from Arthington featuring Almscliffe Cragg.

Talia originally took night classes at Leeds College of Art and then went onto specialise in silk screen printing and very early on in her practice started using large quantities of colours and printing in large scale. She was granted an artist in residence position at Inc Workshop in Leeds before setting up a studio at home.

Talia said: “Colours are my passion and I love the vibrancy they can add to a room”. Challenging herself by using 10-13 colours makes it more technically difficult to achieve, but she finds the results much more satisfying: “Especially when you put the last colour on and they all line up," she added.

Talia takes inspiration from the 1920-30’s travel posters and also the artist Brian Cook’s work. “I love the vibrancy of colours and the unusual colour combinations – why can’t the sky be yellow and the roof be pink?”. Her work predominately features rooftops in the foreground. "I am quite fascinated by all the odd roofing angles and different features, including the lovely chimney pots,” she said.

Talia often prints the same image in two different colour ways creating two very different looking prints. “I usually print in more traditional colours first, then reprint in some more vibrant unusual colours – the challenge is in getting the 13 non traditional colours to work together and be tonally correct. Hard work but worth the results”.

Printing in large scale A1 and A2 sizes Talia creates a picture window like view in a frame. All colours are mixed by hand, and the prints are hand pulled, so there may be minor variations to each print which makes each one unique and original. Limited editions of up to 50 make these pieces highly collectable.

Talia has her work in several galleries including the Craft and Design Centre in Leeds and in The Weaverbird Workshop in Wells Road, Ilkley. During April she has an exhibition at the Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge and also has a selection of her work at Just Makers in the Ripley Castle Courtyard.

Although she is returning to New Zealand, The Weaverbird Workshop in Ilkley will continue to stock a selection of prints and they will continue to be available online through her Facebook page and Artfinder.com. This is her last studio sale where work will be discounted up to 50 per cent.

Entry to the event is free. It will take place at Pepperpot Cottage, 10 Stockinger Lane, Addingham, LS290ND. Opening times are 10am - 4pm. Parking is at the Memorial Hall car park. This is a cash only event. For more information about the sale, visit www.facebook/taliarussellprint/events