McKaila is a self-taught artist and Colorado native. Her professional journey as an artist began in 2023, when she received a commission for seven house portraits for the Fort Collins Historic Homes Tour. Since then, she has made it her ambition to learn something new with every drawing. Her passion is bringing subjects to life through realism in pen and ink, primarily wildlife. Working with pen and ink is tedious and unforgiving, and McKaila's goal is to stretch the boundaries of this medium with every new drawing, and to create an empathetic connection between the subject and viewer. She primarily uses the finest Micron (.15mm) archival pen, with a series of fine lines, dots, and unconventional methods of her own. While her themes range from nature and fauna to house portraits and pet portraits, her favorite subjects are wildlife. When she is not drawing, she can usually be found outdoors hiking or camping near a river, hunting with her boyfriend, kayaking, or cooking.
