First Prize Mario Finlayson ‘Enigma’: Judge’s comment: “It was the most distinguished work in the exhibition. I found it to be the most professional and imaginative work. A great composition which is very joyous. I was very surprised to hear after I had made my choice that it was quite a mature artist who had painted it. It could well have been a young artist.”

“This is a big mixed exhibition with some very outstanding pieces,” stated this year's adjudicator Ivor Abrahams. The International Art Exhibition attracted 106 artists with a total of 184 works. Professor Abrahams felt the general standard was quite high and impressive for a place as small as Gibraltar admitting it had not been easy for him to reach his final decision.

Second Prize Karl Ullger ‘Las MeniNas’: Judge’s comment: “A very strong and professional piece. It is a subject which is well known, from the composition by Velazquez. A bit dark I felt it was a very impressive piece which stood out from the rest of the competition.”

“I feel Gibraltar benefits from its connections with the UK and the art trends world-wide particularly because of the communality of language and so forth,” he commented whilst on the Rock.

At the launch of the 36th International at the Casemates Exhibition Galleries Culture Minister Edwin Reyes thanked Professor Abraham from the Royal Academy, for undertaking this onerous task.

Third Prize Peter Cosquieri ‘Sunday Tea’: Judge’s comment: “Again this work stood out very strongly. On the subject of biscuits it is a simple composition on a large scale with the biscuits freely painted. Very beautifully done it is an exquisite composition. Highly recommended and again after I had made my choice I was very surprised to hear it was from a young person.”

“Such is the nature of competitions that it is not possible to have an unlimited number of prizes; therefore, this makes the Adjudicator's task one which requires the utmost professional and responsible judgement,” commented Mr Reyes.

Young Artist Prize Evelyn Sasa'k ‘Little Rich Girl’: Judge’s comment: “This was hard to choose there was quite a big list of youngsters and I would like to have given it to three or four people but again I chose something that I felt was quite extraordinary in its technical achievement. A very traditional subject but very beautifully done, the painting of a child kneeling on a chair holding a dog, very acceptable everyday sort of subject but beautifully rendered. It had something about it that I felt was special and a very accomplished work for a young person.”

Professor Abraham, a sculptor with a vast experience in the field of art with extensive works in collections around the world, pointed out that a winner for him was a work which “leaps out at you” and stands out leaving an impression on ones mind.

“Something that when you walk to another room you can remember,” he said.

“Image, composition, treatment, colour, technique, the actual finish of the surfaces of the painting, they are all important,” he emphasised.

The winning painting this year was by Gibraltar's most senior artist, Mario Finlayson, which obviously left its mark on the sculptor who could not believe the work was not from a young artist.

'Enigma' is a new direction for Mario who was pleasantly surprised at having won this year’s exhibition and who has supported the international and all local art festivals from for most of his life. Over the years he has won many prizes and probably entered all local and international exhibitions from the 1950s onwards but winning, he says, still comes as a great surprise “especially since I did not expect anything else after having won a Highly Commended for my beach scene,” he said. But his winning entry is, he says, like a new beginning, constantly searching for new ideas, he admits, he is never totally happy with his work.

“This is a departure from the rooftops and it is almost like clearing my system and finding a new approach to painting which is completely internally. It is to do with life, birth, the sea, and the environment,” he says. This is one of a series of paintings he has put together on the same subject, and he claims, it is like going back to his childhood. At 85, he states with a beaming smile, “it is simply cleaning the system, and I am glad that the adjudicator thought I was younger but it is not the first time it happens to me.”

Mario, always one to encourage other artists, says he is really pleased with the number of entries the international is receiving especially from the young artists.

“There are some fantastic pieces - the seeds have been sown and we are now receiving the fruits and it is great!”

This year’s Second Prize went to art teacher Karl Ullger who just last month presented his first solo exhibitions. One of the works on show was 'Las Meninas' the work he presented for this year’s International and which has found success. Not in Gibraltar but finding new inspiration in the Paris art galleries. Karl is no newcomer having found success in the past few years in various exhibitions.

Peter Cosquieri who won the Third Prize for his work 'Sunday Tea' is one of Gibraltar's youngest artists. At 16 he is a student at Bayside and the prize was obviously totally unexpected. This will undoubtedly encourage him to continue painting.

Gibraltar Theme Prize Roger Steppens ‘The Rock’: Judge’s comment: “I was still looking for excellence in the same way and something that competed as much as possible with the other sections rather than something topographical. I went for the painting that seemed a marvellous depiction of a kind of locality. It offered something that none of the other paintings did.”

“I like realistic work even though it depends on what I have to do for school. This work is a box of biscuits and what I wanted to depict the gluttony that there is in the world, the abundance of food, and the choice available,” he said.

Young Artist Prize was won by Slovakian Evelyn Sasa'k for her work 'Little Rich Girl'. Living in Gibraltar for two years Evelyn is just 21 years old and entered last year’s exhibition as well. Her work is portrait-like and says it is about a rich little girl who has it all but is nonetheless lost unaware of the world outside her door..

“I like to paint about pain and happiness too and all the things which are important in our lives.”

Gibraltar Theme Prize was won by Roger Steppens for his work 'The Rock'. Roger lives in Castellar and has never entered a competition before. Exhibiting locally in the past he says his work is about fun.

“It is about the crazy comical side of life and the Rock. I see the big mix that there is on the Rock which is also a lot of fun. It is an outsider looking into this world seeing it from a different angle. It’s quirky funny and unusual and that is what it is all about,” he explained.

This year the adjudicator selected 11 works which were Highly Commended - any of them he commented could have won a prize. Impressed with the crop of young artists he encourages them to “keep on trucking and travel further on your journey. As long as they are travelling that is all that matters. It is better to travel than arrive!”

And as far as all the artists are concerned his message was one of moving on.

He said, “keep going. Find some good models to emulate. Look at art of the past and that is from 20th century art backwards.”