Mandy McKay

From a young age, Mandy was surrounded and inspired by the natural beauty of her family farm, near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. Her creative drive led her along a path of visual expression. 

She studied graphic design, pursuing a career in advertising. Then she started her own business, designing an array of high quality books for several publishing houses, covering wild life, travel, natural history, cookery, gardening, history – and inevitably arts and crafts. One of these projects was on the life and work of South African artist Frederike Stokhuyzen Born to be an Artist. It was after this that Mandy decided she had to paint.

In May 2007, she picked up a paintbrush for the first time. She had oil painting lessons with Edie Wilson Smith and then with the late Adolfo McQue, whose mentorship established her recognisable painting technique and use of colour. She also attended regular workshops with Lesley Charnock.

In 2008, Mandy joined The South African Society of Artists and since, has participated in their annual exhibitions at Kirstenbosch.  In 2010 – 2023 she qualified for SASA’s Merit Exhibition, winning Commended Awards in 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2023. In 2022 she won best painting in the Eleanor Palmer evening – SASA’s end of year event.

Art Portfolio invite Mandy to partake in their regular group exhibitions, also at Kirstenbosch. The Grahamstown National Arts Festival in June/July was an annual event for eight years. The Cape Gallery hold regular exhibitions in which Mandy has participated and her first solo exhibition with the gallery was in May 2018. Mandy is one of the featured artists in The SA Artists June 2017 edition.

Her work is available in other galleries in the Western and Eastern Cape, and also from her studio and gallery in Pinelands, Cape Town. Fillingdon Fine Art gallery, in High Wycombe represents Mandy in the UK.

Mandy has been awarded special commissions by private admirers and regular clients. And two of her wildlife paintings have featured in the BBC series, The Crown. Vital to Mandy’s work are her well-used hiking boots and a trusty camera. They have clocked up many inspirational kilometres in the Western and Eastern Cape.