Artist BIO:
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Maxine Erlwein (Bickerstaff) carries the spirit of her original home deep within her heart and her creative journey. Holding a master’s in writing from Johns Hopkins University, her background is rooted in poetry and prose. In September of 2023, following decades dedicated to her career and a period sidelined by several family tragedies, Maxine turned to visual art as a vital new outlet. What began as an experiment quickly evolved into an all-consuming passion and a daily obsession—one so urgent it regularly dictates full instructions on what and how to paint within her dreams. Within a remarkably short span, she has created a prolific body of over 150 artworks spanning acrylics, watercolors, collage, and fluid pours.
Working from her studio in Catonsville, Maryland, Maxine creates dynamic, vibrant paintings that explore the character, movement, and intensity of the natural world. Her style ranges from large-scale floral and colorful abstract pieces to photorealistic portraits that demand attention. Moving seamlessly from expressive figurative paintings of people to soulful domestic and wildlife portraiture, she utilizes tightly cropped, high-contrast compositions. Rather than romanticizing or cartooning her subjects, she seeks to capture their authentic presence. This results in a portfolio defined by sharp contrasts: some portraits lean into the expressive, anthropomorphic humor of daily encounters, while others demand a quiet reverence, confronting the viewer with a deadly serious, primal intensity.
Across all subjects—from people and beloved dogs to backyard birds, frogs, bears, and cows—the focus remains on stark backgrounds juxtaposed with intense, soulful, or whimsical gazes. For Maxine, each canvas is a vehicle for pure feeling, aiming to capture the magical spark within all living things. Deeply rooted in her local creative ecosystem, she serves on the Baltimore County Arts Guild exhibits committee, where she remains committed to the professional presentation of contemporary art.
