Biography
John Maitland's innovative style is created and conceived outdoors, exposed to the elements and the extreme heat of the sun. The built up layers in his paintings are encouraged to crack and fissure giving an aged appearance resembling archaic surfaces. Broad, sweeping brushstrokes and the strength of his paint application give rawness and beauty in an understated way, thus the paradox of power versus gentleness which contributes to the evocative and distinctive character that is a John Maitland painting. Maitland’s ‘enlightened’ style of painting combines bold sweeping brushstrokes and a lively execution of paint with a beautiful and innocent subject matter, there is a mysterious quality around Maitland’s work which allows people to weave their own personal stories into the paintings.

When asked to describe his painting style, he replies by saying he is an expressive painter. His aim when he picks up a paint brush is to create a work with as much energy and movement as he can muster . . . something animated and emotive. “Some works will be spontaneous while others evolve over a period of time...whatever the case it is my intention to relate a story or moment with a little bit of soul and hopefully the viewer looks beneath the surface and responds to all that emotion.” John’s work is very expressive and contemporary. People of different cultures are a popular theme and a lot of John’s works are figurative, reflecting his own awareness of the unique spirituality, grace and unobtrusiveness of people of various cultures in their landscapes. This is always a great source of inspiration.

Maitland was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, and at age 15 was awarded a scholarship to study art at Kings College. John has held many successful exhibitions in Queensland and New South Wales and was a finalist in the “Tribute to Mary Mackillop” exhibition. His entry was nominated as one of the finest in the show and was part of a national tour in 1996. Since then the print “Nothing could come between her and a child in need”, was used as part of World Youth Day, Sydney and in the Brisbane 100 Concert, representing 100 years of Mary Mackillop. This was captured on DVD and is on the official website for the canonisation of Mary Mackillop. Since 1997 his work has been reproduced as prints by leading British publishing company Prime Arts. One of these pieces was in the final two of the prestigious international print competition in Amsterdam in 1998. John now has over 40 works in print worldwide.