May Lise Hoel paint pictures from a woman’s life. Using large, rough surfaces where the lines deliberately cross. The pictures are colourful and radiate a slight unconcerned summery feel. Isolation, pain and sorrow are present while at the same time radiating pride and strength. An absence in the picture might be as important as that which is present. It is women who exhibits their femininity and with it shield themselves from the world. Sometimes like a child, as with the ballerina after winning a large dance competition.

May Lise also writes small freestanding texts in a trivial language linked with surprising imagery. The contrast between the mundane and the poetic, the innocence and the horrific, is evident in the pictures. This strong bond, together with May Lise's background as a graphic designer has given her ambitions to join text with imagery. It is a technique she will continue to explore.

Music is another strong presence in May Lise's pictures. The genres are varied but she has a love for punk, rock and pop where there is a room for longing. The visual expressions of the punk genre have always been a source of fascination.