My heroes, welcome to the final ceremony of this fantastic event! First of all, I apologize for the delay: I wanted to take some additional time because not only did many of you participate, but also because the overall quality of your entries was so high that I couldn't devalue your efforts by hastily judging them. Also, I've been in bed with COVID-19 since Tuesday, and I must say it hit me so hard that I feel like a chicken hit head-on by a freight train at full speed: I am really in pieces. Even just writing these lines has become a challenge, and I have to take a break every 10 minutes because my head explodes as soon as I do something slightly demanding. I would have liked to prepare some appropriate graphics, but unfortunately, it is currently physically impossible for me: I apologize!
I promise that as soon as I feel better, I will make it up to you. Having made this necessary preamble, I would say it's time to begin!
AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS
This event has been an overwhelming success for me, and I am proud of it; you have truly moved me. It was extremely difficult for me to choose the winners because the effort each one of you put in is evident, and each of you deserves a medal or special recognition. Many of the entries you will see among the winners would have deserved at least 3-4 additional medals because they are all very complete and meticulously crafted works: it was painful to have to "fit" them into a single category.
"Alberto, the contest," despite being a competition, remains an event designed primarily to involve hobbyists and enthusiasts in something fun, and I am proud of all the messages you have sent me in these months. I am glad that you understood the spirit of this initiative and, above all, that you had fun. Thank you, each one of you has been fantastic.
CATEGORY: ORIGINAL IDEA
GOLD: "King Alberto-koko" by Björn Hunter
SILVER: "Prince Albert and the disobedient orphan kitten." By Maik Gollub
BRONZE: Matthew Usher
CATEGORY: SCENIC BASES
GOLD: Guillaume Klein
SILVER: Ivan Knezovic
BRONZE: Rowena Simon
CATEGORY: TECHNIQUE
GOLD: Josua Lai
SILVER: Petar Knezovic
BRONZE: Filip Knezovic
CATEGORY: CONVERSION
GOLD: Fabio Menegon
SILVER: Hans-Jörg Brehm
BRONZE: "Dare you dream?" by Andrea Wille
CATEGORY: DARK ALBERTO
GOLD: Pavel Michal
SILVER: Christoph Brandl
BRONZE: "Norwegian black forest cat" by Alessandro Maiero
CATEGORY: ALBERTO, THE HERO
GOLD: MARCO DI NUNNO
SILVER: Alber-T800 by Ludovica Ramassotto
BRONZE: Miriam Kleijn
CATEGORY: CHOSEN BY DURGIN
The special prize goes to Florence Bench and her "Dave." Florence is a seven-year-old painter, and this is her first entry in a contest! She said that Dave lives in a sewer like they do in the computer game Stray: adorable! I particularly liked this entry not only because I adore Florence's choice of vivid colors but because I believe it best represents the spirit of this event: a fun way to bring enthusiasts of all ages and abilities together!
"Dave", by Florence Bench
THE BEST OF SHOW
It was extremely difficult to choose the final winner. All the winning entries overflow with personality and uniqueness. It seemed cruel and unfair to have to choose only one, but alas, I don't have enough prizes for everyone!
After much reflection, I have decided that Björn Hunter's entry perfectly embodied what I was looking for: an original idea, a truly interesting execution with a painting style that is rarely seen, which I personally loved.
To Björn goes the scepter of this edition, an inspired work enhanced by a stylistic choice that personally enchanted me for its originality. Congratulations!
PRIZES AND REWARDS
All painters will receive a commemorative medal that I will personally paint and an alternative limited edition of Alberto. Additionally, I am pleased to offer the following special prizes (I know one is particularly coveted):
The winner of the Best of Show, thanks to the kindness of Pegaso Models and Kimera Models, will receive a new set of Kimera Brushes, high-quality brushes made under the supervision of the legendary Farabi.
The winner of the "Chosen by Durgin" award will receive a special prize: 5kg of high-quality pasta made in Italy, divided into different formats!
The winner of the "Dark Alberto" category, thanks to the kindness of Army Painter, will receive a "Wet Palette."
The winners of the gold medal in the categories "Technique," "Conversion," "Scenic Bases," and "Original Idea" will receive an €80 voucher to use in the official Durgin Paint Forge store.
The winner of the "Alberto, the Hero" category, thanks to the kindness of Army Painter, will receive a "Warpaints Air Starter Set."
The prizes will be distributed starting in January 2024, and the winners will be contacted to confirm the shipping address once the medals are ready to be sent.
FINAL THANKS
I know that some of you may be a little disappointed: it's inevitable. Still, I have to say that you were excellent at putting me in front of difficult choices. I feel very guilty towards all those who did not receive an award, but I hope to see you all in the next contest!
"Alberto, the contest" has been a truly rewarding experience, and I am proud to showcase all your works on my website. You all did a great job!
I can only thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for turning this small initiative into a real gem.