Under the Orange Sky Revisited

Under the Orange Sky Revisited

Under the Orange Sky continues the theme of expressive, patterned landscapes beneath an earthy orange expanse of sky with titles drawn from Bob Dylan song lyrics inviting further reflection. May says, ‘Song lyrics have always inspired my work. I like the idea of connecting the visual with the lyrical, taking fragments from songs, lyrics that resonate, that are evocative, surreal or playful and expressing them in paint. It allows me to be freer, more intuitive, more meditative in my approach. And I find that burnt orange sky deeply calming.’

Extract from John Heath’s speech (13/12/25): ‘When I first saw this amazing body of work, I was immediately drawn into the incredible depth of this particular orange that May uses. And for me visual references to Klimt, Hundertwasser and to Aboriginal Dreaming appeared. The colour orange has inspired many artists, Pre-Raphaelites and Impressionists come to mind. To quote Van Gogh, “There is no blue without yellow and without orange,” which emphasises the importance of complementary colours in creating depth, contrast and vibrancy in art…In the 50s French artist Yves Klein developed his signature of intensely vibrant matte ultramarine blue. In closing, can I suggest that May has developed her own intensely deep and vibrant signature, now to be known as Ziade Orange.’

May’s paintings are available for purchase as original works, or as limited edition archival prints. Contact May/see Store.