Cows are top dogs in Mourant's Guernsey art competition

12.1.07 - Peter Hawkins and his oil painting ’A Couple of Guernsey Cows’ is the winner of the inaugural Mourant ’Stepping Up’ Art Competition in Guernsey. The study of the island’s local breed has been on display with 11 other short-listed entries at Guernsey Airport since December and fought off almost 300 other submissions from local artists to take the £1000 top prize.

’We are delighted to have been able to give these local artists the chance to publicly exhibit their work, an exhibition which drew large numbers of viewers and over 1400 people actually voting for their favourite piece’ said Iain Stokes of Mourant, the award-winning provider of offshore legal and administration services.

’Peter’s picture attracted a great deal of attention early on as its subject matter is iconic for Guernsey and it has been brilliantly executed. The standard of entries that we have received was excellent and it was apparent that there are a number of very talented artists living in the island. Mourant supports art locally because we believe that creative people with innovative ideas are vital to the future prosperity of Guernsey and competitions like this offer people an opportunity to show what they can do.’

’I am absolutely delighted to have won,’ said Peter Hawkins

’My brother told me about the competition and I rushed to get my entry in on time. As it happens it was the first entry out of almost 300 that the organisers received and the paint was still wet when I handed it in. The response to the exhibition at the airport has been superb and I have received a number of enquiries from people who would like to buy my picture. It is very encouraging.’

Joining Iain Stokes on the judging panel to decide the short-list was artist Eric Snell, Mourant du Feu & Jeune Partner in Guernsey Darren Bacon, Wallace Barnaby graphic designer Peter Wilson, photographer Chris George and Guernsey Press features writer and award winning poet Shaun Shackleton.

’This has been a great competition for getting art in the community,’ said Eric Snell.

’The idea to site the exhibition at the airport was an important one as it gave access to people who normally would not visit galleries. It gave all the short-listed artists an opportunity to be seen by a broad range of potential fans, critics and buyers and it ensured that people were talking about art. That is this initiative’s big achievement.’

’When the decision was made to ’step up’ to our new Guernsey offices we saw an opportunity both to support local Guernsey art and decorate our new office,’ continued Iain Stokes. ’We are very pleased that Peter’s picture will be gracing the walls of our Guernsey office in future. It now has pride of place in our reception area and it is one of the first things you see when you enter.’