Internationally renowned printmaker in Whanganui this weekend

Printmaker Prue MacDougall will be providing demonstrations at Gallery 85 this weekend.

Auckland-based printmaker Prue MacDougall is in Whanganui offering demonstrations at Gallery 85 in Glasgow St this weekend.

MacDougall opened her new exhibition Cammaeus at the gallery on Friday night and she is staying on to host printmaking demonstrations alongside Artists Open Studios this weekend.

The internationally renowned printmaker says her latest work has been influenced by two major recent events in her life.

"I went to my aunt's funeral and I met a cousin there who has traced our ancestry back to Normandy in 1056.

"I'm fascinated with that and the works in Cammaeus reflect that with maps and references to Australia and New Zealand because it made me think about where we began and how far we travelled."

MacDougall will travel to Santander in Spain in September to present her solo show IMPACT 10 and some of the works from Cammaeus will be included she says.

A recent visit to India has also inspired some of her work and three-headed deity Brahma features in some of the pieces.

"I love creating chimera which are human/animal hybrids," she says.

Her award winning work The Denver Girls features two wild goats with the faces of women and Dancer Prancer and Vixen depicts reindeer with human faces.

McDougall will be running demonstrations from 10am to 12pm on Saturday March 24 and Sunday March 25 at 85 Glasgow St.

She will be demonstrating intaglio solar plate printmaking techniques while also providing insight and commentary on her current exhibition.