A brief history

Maynard Waters was born in Sydney in 1936. His father was a carpenter who travelled and worked throughout Australia and Maynard followed as a construction worker. During his travels he met many different characters amongst his workmates and the people of the many towns he visited. His mind stored up pictures of the various facets of Australian life, which later appeared in his paintings of country towns and vignettes of city life.

He had always had the desire to paint. His first attempts were tentative representations of the Australian life he knew so well. Soon, as he offered paintings to galleries and they sold, his career as a painter was born, and in due time became an established painter and muralist.

After training at East Sydney Technical College and an overseas study tour he garnered greater technical ability and maturity. For many years now his skills have been brought to bear on subjects evocative of the ebb and flow of Australian life and the simple things: people, old men and women, children, dogs and horses, and all the flotsam and jetsam of the authentic characters who are to be found throughout this land.

For a period Maynard taught at the Canberra National Art School. He soon decided that he could not paint and teach and do both well, so he dropped teaching and made painting his work.

His first solo exhibition was at the Nundah Gallery, Canberra in 1962 and has since exhibited around Australia and in London and Los Angeles. His work has also featured in several books and is represented in many private and institutional collections. Maynard has also undertaken some major commissions including a 12 metre x 1.2 metre mural painted for the Twin Towns Services Club, Tweed Heads in 1995.

Lately Maynard has enjoyed creating Family Heritage Portrait art works, where he paints the subjects on their property or in their local neighbourhood. He has also recently revisited the abstract art form which he first discovered in 1971.

Maynard Waters lives with his wife Merle on the South Coast of NSW in Batemans Bay, where he has his studio.

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