[2] John Maltby was born and brought up in Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, where he attended Clee Grammar School.
[9] Maltby was a member of the Kenn Group of Artists (along with Clifford Fishwick, Michael Mason,[10] William Ruscoe, Amy Elton,[11][12] Frank Middleditch,[13] Rowland Hill,[14] Peter Thursby[15] and others) and exhibited in the group's annual shows regularly, often in Exeter College of Art and Design or the gallery of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in the city,[16] but also further afield.
[1] His work has been exhibited worldwide and is represented in many public collections[17] including Victoria and Albert Museum.
[18] Maltby's life and work was celebrated in a retrospective exhibition and accompanying book in the summer of 2022 at the Yew Tree Gallery, Morvah, Cornwall.
From an early age he loved the sea and this remained an influence throughout his career as were his European travels and abstract artists.