Artistic Alchemy

This book features thirty-three paintings by Athens, Georgia artist Manda McKay, as well as statements about her feminist-inspired nature art.Manda McKay is a medical and veterinary illustrator turned painter living in Athens, Georgia. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and her master’s degree from the Medical College of Georgia. She then worked for two years as the illustrator at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine before returning to Athens to freelance in veterinary illustration. McKay then focused on painting still lifes to express humanitarian concerns, using techniques repurposed from her medical illustration experience.McKay's art centers on themes of empowerment through nature and creativity. She is a founding member of the Thurtine Collective in Athens, Georgia. This collective of visual and performing artists features people who have at times been outcasts, often due to the artists' neurodivergence. In November 2023, McKay was the speaker and featured artist for the Georgia Western Judicial Circuit's Art & Justice Initiative. After McKay's speech, the district attorney presented her with a challenge coin given out by members of law enforcement and the justice system to honor community activists. Read more