May works to evoke a sense of light, transparency, reflection, and atmosphere while still retaining the primacy of opaque paint-laden gestures on wood. She draws inspiration from a wide variety of sources, including Richard Diebenkorn, Peter Doig, John Cole, Thomas Wood, Hart James, Emily Carr, J. M. W. Turner, and Lucian Freud.

She paints in high quality Williamsburg oil paint on birch panels prepared with shellac rather than gesso. This allows the warmth of the wood to show through in underworked areas.