After completing a Foundation Diploma at Falmouth School of Art, Maxine Whitbread-Abrutat gained a BA (Hons) in Fashion & Design at Cheltenham College of Art. She then undertook a PGCE in Art & Design at De Montfort University.

In 1991 she returned to Cornwall, becoming Head of Art at a secondary school in St Austell. In 2003 Maxine became Cornwall's first Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) awarded by the Department of Education.

More recently she has graduated from Falmouth University as a Master of Fine Art. She supports the visual arts in education, with large County arts projects supporting other teachers and promoting the arts in Cornwall.

She has held a considerable number of solo shows and has participated in group exhibitions throughout Cornwall. She works from a studio near Perranporth.