Born in England, May immigrated to New Zealand as a child. She lived in Christchurch and attended university there. After marrying she moved to Wellington. Early in 2004 May moved to Queensland, Australia and has since lived in South East Brisbane by the sea.

History

May spent time at the Canterbury University of Fine Arts in the 1960s where she obtained her Preliminary Diploma in Fine Arts.

May belonged to the Christchurch Art Society and from the 1970s onwards, the Lower Hutt Art Society in Wellington and the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts.

Yvonne Rust, a famous New Zealand artist and potter, was an inspirational teacher. May spent three years attending her studio in Christchurch during her time at university

As a young artist she exhibited on many occasions with both societies from the late 1960s through to the 1980s and sold many works. Four of her works were so admired they were published in the cities newspapers. During this time May was commissioned for two portraits.

In Wellington May also taught drawing and painting with the Lower Hutt Art Society and was involved with helping to construct a curriculum for a local polytechnic in Wellington.

Although trained in traditional art, May was a graphic designer for over thirty years. She moved to Brisbane in 2004, along with family reasons, to pursue her true love of painting. Since then the birds and landscape of Queensland have held inspiration for her paintings.