Paranormal Artist Profile: Cait May

I don't have anything clever to say here. I just really, really like this picture.

Cait May is fascinated by the idea of fantasy and mysteries being a part of everyday life.  Her work blends the miraculous with the mundane in a way that only someone who understands that the two are actually inseparable can.  She takes her inspiration for paranormal art from her own experiences, and shows us that life is endlessly weird and wondrous for those who have eyes to see.

"When we were growing up, my sister always showed an affinity for the supernatural, and was particularly sensitive to spirits. She told stories of a “White Robe Lady” who haunted a home we lived in for about a year. I never saw her, but my sister always pointed her out if she was present," says Cait.

But, she adds, "My best/most intense personal experience was actually on a ghost tour! We were being led through a hotel that had seen a number of murders, and I had somehow strayed to the back of the group. When the tour entered a drawing room, I had to stop at the doorway because I was suddenly overcome with an almost animal panic. I was drenched in sweat, felt horribly sick, and was absolutely terrified of a space in the drawing room, just in front of a fireplace. I couldn’t explain it, as there was nothing there! I stepped back out of the room, and the moment I left the doorway I felt perfectly fine. When I stepped back in the room, the feeling was gone, and I was just in time to hear the tour guide announce that this particular room had the most sightings recorded of what was suspected to be the murderer."

Cait's a self-described "huge nerd about ghosts and spirits," who is still "absolutely interested in UFOs and cryptids."

"I would say my particular favorite is ghost stories. I grew up listening to strange tales and watching, of all things, Ghost Hunters, haha! While I know it can be hokey and inaccurate, it’s still one of my favorite shows. I eat up ghost stories, and am a huge fan of the Anything Ghost Podcast. I just really like the idea of the human (or non-human?) spirit lingering after death, and being able to affect the world once you have passed on."

The paranormal artist and painter hails from Baltimore, Maryland, and says if you ever find yourself in the area, there's one place in particular that she recommends you visit.

"Baltimore is full of history, and if you’re a ghost fan, we’ve got the spaces for you. I definitely recommend Hell House - also known as St. Mary’s. It used to be a religious preparatory school, but was abandoned for many years and burned down about ten years ago. Now there’s rubble and parts of old building, and many a ghost story if you’re willing to make the hike up there."

I'm sold on this picture alone.

If you find yourself enamored by Cait's work--and you'd have to be some kind of philistine not to be--then check out her online comic Irregular.

"Irregular is the story of six children who happen to be not-quite-human. They originally live in a government facility called “The Playroom,” where they are encouraged to grow and learn, but are also monitored and studied every moment of the day. When a strange message appears on one of The Playroom’s computers, the kids realize that they are also being monitored from outside the facility — by someone who threatens to expose their existence to the world! And from there the adventure truly begins: the six of them have to escape pursuit and capture, experience life in the real world, encounter creatures stranger than they are, and learn that family is not what you’re born to, but who you choose to be a part of it."

And once you're done there, make sure to view her work in our art portal, and at caitmayart.com.