McKenna grew up in rural Wisconsin on her family's hobby farm. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BA in Art and Arts Management.

A mixed media and environmental artist, much of her work contains materials such as kimono silk, antique lace, and thrifted clothing. These elements, along with other acrylic mixing mediums, are what give her paintings their unique surface texture.

McKenna’s colorful and dynamic flair, combined with the distinctive surface textures, give her art a recognizable quality all their own. Her mixed media approach and use of repurposed materials and fabrics, contain features both special and unexpected. “I enjoy giving used garments new life,” she says, “while at the same time creating a textural connection within each painting.”

Recently married, McKenna Kornowski and her partner, both painters, live a mobile lifestyle in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. She creates much of her work in the outdoor studio space that nature provides, drawing inspiration from the great Pacific Northwest.