Adrienne May

Adrienne May went to the Perse School in Cambridge which at that time, the 1950s, did not encourage visual arts. On leaving after A levels, she trained with the Bank of West Africa in the City of London . In between studying for her Bankers' exams, she began to paint. From 1960 to 1964 she worked in Sierra Leone as a manager of up country branches, continuing to paint in oil. It proved very hot work.

After a spell of dengue fever, and with a worsening political atmosphere throughout West Africa, she decided to leave the bank for employment in the UK. She dabbled in art over the years, employed firstly as a sales person for an American paper company and then as a paper buyer in Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

She took early retirement at 56 and took up painting immediately, joining the NNAC in 1997. Elected Chairman in 2003, she wrote together with Brian Watts, 'Wide Skies' a history of the NNAC from 1885 to 2003. Adrienne uses mainly pastels but has tried all mediums. Her varied subjects include marine and beach scenes, still life and flowers.

Adrienne is the current President of the Circle.