Maughan has made a life for himself and his family from painting gardens.
The 55-year-old has been creating large-scale yet intricate gardenscapes for more than three decades. Paintings by Maughan hang in many hotel lobbies and wealthy collectors’ homes –his prices can soar –
Marigolds & Sweet Corn, for instance, which sold for US$64,825 (NZ$91,825) last year.
If critics have accused him of repetition, the book is a printed timescape of his career, showing his works have changed like the seasons over time, along with his practice.
Throughout, though, flowers have been his language. “My main objective is to astound people. I like them to look at something and it takes their breath away,’’ he says.