INKWORKS by M.K. Brennan
Meet Menley
Ink, Curiosity & the Wild Pacific Northwest
Menley has always been drawn to making art, but in 2025 she decided to stop treating it as an occasional interest and begin taking it seriously. Her work found its direction in the rugged landscapes and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest — foggy forests, rocky coastlines, tide pools, mountains, and the creatures that live among them.
That sense of curiosity sits at the heart of INKWORKS by MKBrennan.
Learning One Line at a Time
Menley’s work is built from layers of free-flowing lines and individual marks. Creating it has also meant learning through experimentation: moving between oil-based ballpoint ink and water-based fountain pen ink, testing different papers, and working with everything from everyday pens to fountain pens and dip pens.
Each tool behaves differently. Each paper changes the finished piece. Learning what works — and occasionally discovering what absolutely does not — has become part of the process.
Her drawings are meant to reward a closer look. From a distance, a familiar creature or landscape appears. Up close, the work becomes a dense field of movement, texture, hidden shapes, and individual marks.
Drawn from the Pacific Northwest
The ocean has always called to Menley, but living in the Pacific Northwest gave her a new appreciation for mountains, moss-covered forests, fungi, wildlife, and the shifting textures of the coast.
Her drawings focus on the places and creatures that make the Northwest feel unmistakable: salt air, wet earth, weathered boats, cold water, ravens, tide pools, forests, and wildlife.
Future pieces will continue exploring the region — from mushrooms, bears, salmon, whales, and eagles to ravens, boats, forests, coastlines, and whatever catches her attention next.
Made in a Small, Full Life
INKWORKS is a small, growing art business built around a very full life. Menley creates while working full-time in healthcare and sharing an RV with her partner and their two furry “kids”: one tiny dog and one rambunctious orange cat.
Space may be limited, but art supplies keep finding room.
Menley is beginning with made-to-order fine-art paper prints, with plans to bring her work into local markets and art fairs and eventually expand into original pieces and thoughtfully chosen merchandise.
This is only the beginning.