The Brooklyn-based Angela Mckay is a surface pattern designer and illustrator. Originally hailing from the sunny shores of Australia and the humid tropics of Thailand, she brings her unique illustrations together to create a fun and diverse range for Ohkii Studio. Mckay usually positions her miniature paintings against the real-life backdrop, juxtaposing the two depictions.
The artist often recreates some of the pieces in her sketchbooks on a larger scale after returning home, relying on her earlier representation for the tiny details she otherwise might not remember. “Often when I’m traveling, I have this urgent feeling that I need to capture everything I’m experiencing, the sights, feelings, and textures of a place,” she says.
“I really enjoy that feeling of walking around a new place not knowing what I might discover around the corner. I often try to recreate the feeling of a place I have visited in my personal work… I really enjoy the experience of looking at a painting and being transported back to that experience. It’s a nice way to escape from your day to day!”
The pocket-size notebooks are a crucial component of Mckay’s process, and she utilizes them in both her personal projects and her work for clients. You can visit her shop, to pick up one of Mckay’s watercolor and gouache artworks or prints.
Riserva Naturale Orientata Cavagrande del Cassibile in Italy.
Joshua Tree National Park
Calamosche Beach
Lagos, Portugal
Left: Wat Phra That Chom Pho, Thailand. Right: Yosemite National Park
Lagos, Portugal
Right: Margaret River, Western Australia
Lagos, Portugal
