Internationally renowned & locally beloved artist John Maitland is returning to Red Hill Gallery!
John Maitland's latest body of work, titled A Jewelled Palette, features motifs of spring, elusive butterflies, and endless starry skies.
His skillfully executed oil and acrylic paintings are informed by figurative expressionism and imbued with rigorous colour and texture to denote emotive nuance. The work achieves poignancy through a unique perspective which resonates throughout his cohesive presentation.
"A few years back, chatting with my wife and a couple of friends in a pub, we discussed travelling overseas in the search of adventure. Within a few weeks we decided we’d fly to North Queensland. Why? My wife’s one condition was we’d go to Rockhampton, it had the perfect mean temperature all year round. The notion was stirred by a homesick Australian child in a classroom in north-east England. We’d never be cold again, all we needed to do was find jobs.
The friends left first, they found jobs on a cattle station in Rocky as a jackaroo and jillaroo. It was a far cry from working in nightclubs and restaurants in the UK!
As for us, ten years passed before we got to travel way north of Brisbane. And it didn’t disappoint, it was a brilliant experience, intoxicating, experiencing the lush landscape of intense colour and its people.
In recent months I revisited North Queensland, and it had the same intoxicating effect, a huge moon and starry skies that went forever.
Balmy winter nights… steaks to die for!
Also, recently, I’ve been asked a few times, about my very early series, “Children and the Moon.” And “Coolum and the Moon”. So, I’m delighted to say I’ve revisited that series with the memories of my recent trip still fresh.
I’ve also included a few of my “Elusive Butterfly” series (inspired by a number of aborted attempts due to weather conditions including Cyclone Gabriella to see our new Kiwi edition to the family.)
So, the Elusive Butterfly became the perfect metaphor for Audrey.
I hope you will enjoy and agree these latest vignettes truly are jewels from the palette of…
John Maitland
Red Hill Gallery
2023