Maxine Wain

Maxine Wain VAS receiving the Signatory Award from VAS President Lucy Maddox at the official opening of the VAS Hylton Mackley Artist of the Year Exhibition.

"Creating has always had a strong pull for me and as a result I have pursued a number of ways to express this during my life. I am mostly self-taught but have attended short courses and workshops as needed.

Keystone I, Limestone

At school in Perth, I enjoyed art classes but was often in trouble for expressing my own version of the subject we were given to draw or paint. However, my best friend’s mother liked my paintings and gave me encouragement and even bought my watercolour of abstract inkwells! (I bought a pair of desert boots with the money as they were all the rage at the time). She also introduced me to the work of Wim Boissevain and Robert Juniper among others and Robert Juniper continues to be a favourite artist of mine.

Maxine Wain VAS with her sculpture Vessel in Limestone and mixed media

After school I graduated as a nurse from Royal Perth Hospital and on my days off would visit art galleries and sometimes paint in watercolour. I married in Perth and changed profession to Librarian; then when we moved to Melbourne, I had my first encounter with oil painting at Wesley Penberthty’s Summer School but didn’t continue on: instead, I enrolled in a pottery course with Verna Stoneman at Laburnum Gallery. I pursued this endeavour for many years making functional pots and creating wall hangings in my studio and building a business to sell to galleries in Melbourne, taking on commissions and exhibiting.

Lidded Pot Glazed Stoneware

In 1979 I travelled in Mexico and discovered the technique of silk painting. With an associate we created silk scarves, clothing and framed pictures, and sold to Craft Victoria as well as a variety of businesses in Victoria and interstate. Another artistic expression has been paper cuts and collage which have been inspired by the myriad quirky shapes in nature, historic built forms, and travel maps.

Henny Penny, Papercut collage

Salt Lakes Central Australia, Mixed media

After I retired in 2007, I hired a studio and enrolled in a painting course with Tom Fantl. His teaching was in oil painting, and I continue to paint in this medium. I joined The Victorian Artists Society under the presidency of Eileen Mackley and became a council member during the exciting time of restoring the galleries to what they are now. Under Eileen’s direction we introduced the Contemporary Exhibition and Sculpture exhibits.

The Royal Nubian Fleet Approaches, Painted stone on glass board

My present art practise is in painting and sculpture. My paintings are inspired by my travels in outback Australia and living on the Mornington Peninsula. I built a studio onto my Mornington Peninsula house in 2020 where I paint in a contemporary style, the wonderful coastal Moonah and Sheoak trees surrounding my house and that I observe during walks along the beach.

Abode, Unglazed white terracotta

Having travelled extensively in 4WD, helicopter and boat I find inspiration to paint the rocks, rivers, and salt lakes of Outback Australia, mostly from an aerial view. I love the rich Aussie sunbaked colours of these landscapes. My painting technique is initially very messy. I mostly use a large canvas which I lay on a table outside the studio and work with my hands, brushes, water, and acrylic paint to create the under painting. When this is dry, I paint the images with oils.

Moonahs III, Mixed media

Since sculptures were introduced to the exhibitions at VAS, I have mostly exhibited this format. In 2018 I undertook a 2-day workshop with Jenny Whitehead where I learned to work with limestone, and this has led me to love working in this material. It is physically demanding if using large pieces as it is heavy and requires strength to manoeuvre and shape. (I can achieve this by going to the gym for weightlifting!). My inspirations are around themes of boats and abstract forms, and I add mixed media in the form of rope, wood, string, polymer clay, and metals to finish off the form.

Aten, Limestone and steel

More recently, I have been using aerated concrete, which is a man-made material and much lighter to work with. This is a material I finish with metallic paints and again I enhance the basic shape with metal, wood, rope and polymer clay.

Visage, Limestone

I have won a number of prizes over the years for my various forms of creative endeavours and recently, for my sculptures at the Victorian Artists Society Exhibitions. I am delighted to have received the award of Signatory Member of the Victoria Artists Society on 6 December 2025."

Striving, Acrylic