Three members of the Rockhampton-based Central Queensland Contemporary Artists group have been named as finalists in this year’s John Villiers Outback Art Prize.

The acquisitive competition is run by Winton’s Waltzing Matilda Centre, and has a prize purse of $13,000 across four categories.

This year’s finalists include Ainslie McMahon, Joanne Kerr and Veronika Zeil.

Ainslie McMahon

Ainslie’s solo exhibition Panorama: landscape wonders hidden in plain sight is on show at the Rockhampton Art Gallery until March 17.

The exhibition is driven by a search for place through the embrace of personal landscapes, seeking out authentic experiences and the anchor that comes with finding ‘your place’.

Joanne Kerr

Joanne Kerr trained as both artist and teacher, and worked as a high school art teacher before investing her creative energies into her children, home life, and of course her art.

Her work has been exhibited in galleries in throughout Queensland, and she has a bevvy of prizes to her credit including the Central Highlands Regional Council’s Acquisitive Award in 2014. Joanne says her inspirations include a love of gardening and the landscape, drawing inspiration from: strong shapes, the architecture and geometry of plants, and bursts of colour found in nature.

Veronika Zeil

German-born Veronika Zeil is a visual artist whose practice includes painting in oil and acrylics, drawing, mosaic work and sculpting in wire and cement. She exhibits annually in regional galleries and commercial spaces, and her work has been snapped up by CQUniversity, local councils, and national and international collectors.

This year Veronika is running a free guided tour each month at the Rockhampton Art Gallery. These Art Walks are a chance to have a deeper look at the current exhibitions, plus learn some art history and the behind the scenes nuts and bolts of making art.