Jeanne May

Artist Website:

Artist Statement

My work explores themes of solitude and resilience, portraying how moments of inner struggle can be met with calm acceptance. The composition draws attention not only to the figure's form but also to the complexity of the emotional landscape she inhabits, offering space to consider the strength found in stillness and the understated nature of personal anguish.
I paint primarily with oils, layering color and texture to create realism blended with abstraction. I use cold wax oil to build up texture and scrape off layers to reveal what is underneath. The beauty of figurative work is that it connects us by our humanity. My hope is that the viewer can see themselves in my subject and therefore can see me in them offering a shared contemplation of our human condition..

Biographical

Jeanne May is a self-taught, contemporary figure painter based in North Carolina, USA. She works in oils using cold wax medium for texture. Jeanne first painted with oils at the age of 10. Although she continued exploring art throughout her life, it was not until 2023 when she began painting with oils again as a full-time artist. Being self-taught, Jeanne seeks out opportunities to learn from established artist both locally and internationally through workshops, open studios and critique sessions. Her work explores themes of solitude, resilience and self-determination. 2025 was a breakthrough year for Jeanne. Her work was published in American Art Collector magazine; Artist Talks magazine as well as exhibition catalogs through 33 Contemporary Gallery and Poets Artists. Jeanne also participated in her first gallery show, A Conversation in Paint, at Impressions Gallery in Morehead City, NC. Jeanne May is an active participant in three local arts councils in her state and is on the board of the co-op gallery in Morehead City.

Born 1966, United States

Resides and works in North Carolina, United States

Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/jeanne.w.may/

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2024 Glimpses of Vulnerability - Hannah Block Community Art Center, Wilmington, NC August 26 - September 23, 2024

Selected Juried Exhibitions

2024 Factory of Fear. Art Factory Gallery, Manassas, Virginia

2024 Vibrant. Art Mozaik, New Mexico

2024 Grandeur of Color. MVA Gallery, Pennsylvania

2024 Faces and Figures. Las Lagunas Art Gallery, California

2024 Yadkin Arts Council Juried Exhibition. Yadkin Cultural Arts Center, NC Artfields. Lake City, South Carolina