Keith Burt Boonah plain air

‘A small town with a few steep hills and classic Queensland architecture is the perfect lure for me to get out my easel and paints,’ says Keith Burt. At a site in Boonah, south-west of Brisbane on Yuggera Ugarapul Country, he was attracted to the wide and sloping street that divides the view; the soft foliage against built structures and powerlines was also an appealing contrast.

Painting on location, Burt deliberately used a big brush and a small board to execute the work swiftly and restrict being distracted by details. The title Boonah plain air is ‘a reference to the habit among my friends of Australianising the French term en plein air, abbreviating it to ‘plain air’ for practical purposes,’ he says.

Burt is a five-time Archibald finalist, including in 2023. This is his first time in the Wynne.