ROBERT Klein-Boonschate went a little off track for his latest work.
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However, he didn't have to wander far.
The Walla-based artist wanted to capture the diversity of the landscapes on the back roads around the Southern Riverina.
Klein-Boonschate spent the past 12 months driving through Walla and beyond, recording familiar vistas of agricultural farmlands and sweeping sunsets.
He focused on the winter months with cool, lush landscapes, which contrast with the warm tones of the summer scenes.
"There's a charm to seeing landscapes in all of their variety and all of the seasons," he said.
"The diversity reflects this - different light and colour in different seasons.
"It's interesting to discover the back roads; even after 10 years of living at Walla I'm still seeing new things every day."
Klein-Boonschate created 16 large-scale oil paintings over three months for his new solo exhibition Along The Back Roads, which opens at Art Partners Australia in Albury on Thursday.
The Netherlands-born Klein-Boonschate said he was immediately struck by the light when he first moved to Australia as a teenager with his family.
"I couldn't believe the blueness of the sky or the clarity of the light," Klein-Boonschate said.
"Australian light in general is very clean and clear; even when it's dusty it's just a cleaner light."
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The former Tallangatta Secondary College student studied graphic art at Swinburne College of Technology before setting up a gallery in Melbourne, which focused on drawing.
Later he moved to central Australia, where he cultivated a profound respect for the Australian landscape and Indigenous art.
"I was fascinated by Aboriginal artists in central Australia and watching their paintings change with the seasons," he said.
"The wildflowers would come out and that would be reflected in their paintings over the following months."
Klein-Boonschate has held many exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney and throughout Australia, chronicling his deep interest in the natural world.
As an artist in residence at Art Partners Australia, he brings those landscapes to life.
"Through art I can participate in the destruction, preservation and creation cycles of nature," Klein-Boonschate said.
"The activity of art gives me peace and joy.
"It's a chess game of composition; learning how to contain the landscape."
Along The Back Roads opens on Thursday from 6pm to 7.30pm.
It runs until the end of March at Art Partners Australia, 488 David Street, Albury.