Envision an old photograph reimagined in vivid acrylics on a broad canvas.
The painting radiates warmth, with bold hues, striking contrasts, and a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. Sunlight glances off figures, casting elongated silhouettes that evoke a sense of nostalgia.
This defines the signature style of Wallace May, a Los Angeles-based artist and musician. For years, she has created portraits—both human and canine—along with scenes drawn from mid-century photography. Her compositions stand out for their unconventional framing, often omitting or cropping details others might emphasize. In doing so, she captures the way memories evolve, how certain moments remain sharp while others fade. “Pieces go missing,” she explains, “and we are left only remembering certain fragments.”
Beyond subject matter, her work is influenced by Los Angeles itself. The city’s unique light and vast landscapes seep into her paintings, shaping the atmosphere and mood. Even her approach to color reflects the environment around her—bright, sun-drenched tones contrast with deep, cinematic shadows, mirroring the way the city shifts between vibrancy and haze.
We spoke with Wallace about her creative process, distinctive approach, and the ways in which Los Angeles shapes her art.
What does a typical workday look like for you? Could you describe the atmosphere of your studio?
I usually start my day around 5:30am when my dog so kindly wakes me up. I sit down to start work around 9am and wrap up around 5pm. I try to tackle commissions first and then leave a few hours in the afternoon to work on my own stuff. My studio is kind of like my childhood bedroom. I have posters and art hanging all around that I’ve had for years and years. It feels very comforting in that way with all the familiarity. I’d like to say it’s well organized but it’s more like organized chaos. It’s also where our dog Bean spends most of her time so I guess it’s also her studio.
What materials do you usually work with? Is there a particular material you’re especially drawn to at the moment?
I typically work with watercolor and acrylics, specifically Golden Acrylic paint. I’ve started using bright neon paint to do a type of underpainting to make the pieces even brighter. It can be a little challenging when I go to do the actual painting because the colors will always come out a bit surprising and different than they would if I were painting on white canvas but I find that to be an element in the overall piece.
You have a remarkable eye for composition. How do you determine which parts of a subject’s body to crop or obscure?
It seems like I’m often trying to keep the subject’s faces a mystery. A lot of the subjects (while I may not know all of them personally) are people that I know something about. I think about how people can feel nostalgic or familiar with certain images but there is still a bit of mystery to it and as to why we feel drawn to the images. I also like to obscure and crop to leave things out. My work deals a lot with memory and how it can change over time. Pieces go missing and we are left only remembering fragments.
Your use of light and shadow is captivating. Could you share how you approach incorporating light into your paintings?
I love being able to capture bright sunlight or the flash of a camera (especially in candid photos). With a lot of my paintings that are exterior, I love to show different times of day. Early mornings, mid days, and late afternoons all provoke different feelings that are significant in their own way. I almost never use black paint because I feel like even with the dark spots and shadows I can still see some form of color.
How do you think about finding “likeness” in your portraiture?
So many of my pieces come from old photos from my grandparents. Before I was even painting them, I would look through them and feel this sense of nostalgia even though I had not been to any of the places pictured. That feeling really clung to me, how you can look at a photo and think “I know exactly this feeling.” I then started to find it in photos that didn’t belong to me. People would send me their old family photos to look through and I would often find several that gave me that same sense.
You frequently do pet commissions. Do you have a favorite pet that you’ve painted?
I know I’m biased but I paint my dog Bean all the time and she’s probably my favorite. That said, I was once asked to do a commission where I was given an old painting of a woman and her boyfriend (both in profile about to kiss). She said they had broken up and asked me to paint her dog over him so that it was of her and her dog gazing at each other. I think it was one of my favorite commissions I’ve ever done.
Has your work changed since you moved from New York to Los Angeles?
That is a great question that I am often asking myself. When I lived in NY I was primarily painting old photos from the 40s and 50s. LA has such a mid century modern feel with some of its architecture so it felt very welcoming in that sense. The abundance of sunlight and color, pink sunsets and sunrises are so striking and feel so unique that I try to incorporate those colors in a lot of my pieces.
As a musician, how does music influence your visual art? Do you often listen to music while you paint?
I’m almost always listening to something, whether it’s music or an audiobook. I think I will typically play music when I want to turn off my brain. When that happens I tend to lose time. It’s 9am and suddenly it’s 3pm. I think painting and playing music evoke a similar feeling for me where I can easily get lost in what I’m doing for hours. I find that having a really solid album helps to keep the ball rolling but if a song I don’t like comes on it can throw me off my rhythm momentarily.
"Planet Holiday"