John Wood Beckwith Maxwell was born in Fredericton where the fledgling UNB Art Centre loomed influentially in his introduction to art as a child and later creative development. Lucy Jarvis, Pegi Nicol MacLeod, Fritz Brandtner and Madge Smith were among his early teachers and mentors. He also absorbed the presence and impact of Goodridge Roberts in his formative years and later that of Molly Lamb Bobak. He studied literature at the University of New Brunswick . A Canada Council grant in 1959 funded a trip to Paris, where he studied at the Academie Julienne and at La Grande Chaumière. Study at the Art Students' League in New York City was critical to his artistic formation.

Returning to Fredericton, John completed an Education degree and began teaching in New Brunswick. Later in his career, John studied theology at Bishop's University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia. Since his retirement in 1992, his passion was painting. His landscapes were painted directly from nature. Inspired by colours and the poetic nuance, he was happiest painting the New Brunswick landscape en plein ai. In winter, he studied philosophy at UNB, painted still life, flowers and interiors in his studio and joined artists at the NB College of Craft and Design for weekly life-drawing sessions.

Maxwell emphasized that being in or out of current fashion was irrelevant to his painterly concerns. What mattered, ultimately, was to make art that resonated with “truth” and thus have lasting value.

John died on March 9th 2007.