Help To Promote Malt Whisky London Advertising Agency commissioned 13 Scottish artists to create artworks. According to Advertising Agency, EHS Brann, Friends of drinks giant Diadeo in the US, Sweden and Greece have been sent a Seasons Greetings package containing a specially designed set of 13 cards, in the company's Christmas mailing campaign. The front of each card bears an image of artwork representing The Spirit of one of the 13 Classic Malts Selection.™ 13 Scottish artists were commissioned by the award winning advertising agency, EHS Brann to produce the artwork for the front page of the greeting cards. Each artist was allocated one of the Classic Malts Selection™ distilleries in Scotland and commissioned to create one piece of artwork in 'the spirit of the Malt'. Barbra Drummond-Hay, art buyer for EHS Brann said, ''Our only stipulation is that the spirit of both the individual whisky and its particular place of origin be represented in the painting.'' The world's leading premium drinks company is also using the cards to create a number of digital elements as well, e-cards, downloadable wallpapers and screensavers. These are available on malts.com at http://www.malts.com/en-gb/Storelocator/Season+Greetings EHS Brann selected the artists from the Scottish Art Circle website - an online promotion platform for Scottish artists set up by former Glasgow gallery owner, Ali Abubakar. ''We selected the artists from various parts of Scotland particularly for uniqueness of their styles and techniques'' said Barbra Drummond-Hay. The selection of artists stretched from a Borders watercolourist, Mike Shepley, to a Batik maker of Tomintoul in Morayshire, Jane Lannagan. Other artists were from Glasgow, Stirling, Houston in Renfrewshire, Leven in Fife and Carnoustie in Angus. The commissions exposed the artists to distilleries scattered from East Lothian to Speyside - producing brands including Glenkinchie™, Dalwhinnie™, Talisker™, Lagavulin™, Cragganmore™, and Glen Ord™. ''We had to work on a tight time-schedule - first to travel to the distillery which could be anywhere in Scotland; research, sketch, photograph and decide on the theme to paint,'' said registered-blind artist Keith Salmon of Irvine. ''Then we had to submit a sample of ‘work-in-progress’ for approval, and the finished piece within just two weeks after that.'' All 13 artists completed the commission within the allocated time scheduled. ''I was very impressed by their enthusiasm, and the level of commitment they gave to this project - even though they were being handsomely paid for their efforts,'' said Ali of Scottish Art Circle. Batik maker Jane Lanaggan was in hospital when her husband, Bill, passed her the news about the commission. She was aware of the limited time she had from getting out of hospital to researching the project, taking pictures before getting down to paint - but was keen to get started. Some of the artists seemed familiar with the history of the areas they were sent to - like Jim Dunbar RSW of Carnoustie who went to Islay to paint Lagavulin Distillery™. He titled his painting 'Lagavulin Outlook' - a direct reference to the distillery. ''It shows Lagavulin Bay onto which the distillery looks and presents a true recording of the shoreline ... it also shows Dunyvaig Castle, the stronghold of the Lord of the Isles where King James IV, reputedly, first tasted distilled spirits.'' said Jim. At Dalwhinnie Distillery™, Terry Adams of Fife felt he was working on the 'Home Of The Gentle Spirit.' ''Dalwhinnie was a meeting place for cattle drovers on the way to the lowland markets,'' he said, remembering his history. ''Today the distillery is still a nexus a meeting place where the golden grain of sustenance, meets the rugged hills and the sparkling highland waters - and the purple heather joins in friendship, warmth and knowledge to produce the gentle spirit in harmony that is Dalwhinnie.'' Diageo has invited all the 13 artists to a reception in London where they and other guests wold learn more about Classic Malts Selection™ and the type of cuisine that goes well with the Spirits ... and the artists' original pieces of work were on display. Selma Rebus has reason to belive the framed pieces of artworks might be auctioned for charity ... The announcement on Tuesday evening event at Diageo London that the framed paintings might be auctioned for charity was ''the icing on the cake for me,'' said Selma Rebus of Glasgow.
Where the Heather Meets the Sea Robert Gould’s painting celebrates the tradition of fishing and peat-cutting still practised to this day. The enigmatic distillery still occupies the cove by the Sound of Islay, the Gaelic for which gives this island malt its name. More about this artist
Home of the Gentle Spirit The name Dalwhinnie means ‘meeting place’ originally one for cattle drovers. It evokes a tradition of Highland hospitality that Terry Adams has used to symbolise the peat meeting heather in the flavours of this delicate malt. ---------- Terry Adams - Dalwhinnie Distillery HOME OF THE GENTLE SPIRIT My first reaction on opening the email, was scepticism, where, why, what, how and why did they select me, I am so used to getting spurious requests via email for my work, these normally turn out to be in the interest of others. However on further investigation and googling and realising that the selection came from your website I was encouraged to progress. I am glad that I did. Barbara Drummond-Hay was very helpful and her guidance invaluable, all to often the primary difficulty in commissions is the marrying of expectations. This is particularly so when the brief is so wide. The timing was difficult as I was preparing for my exhibition at Pittenweem Arts Festival where I had a venue, I knew that this obligation meant that I had a week of commitment to the promotion of my work, Pittenweem was, for me, very successful although having discussed the sales with other artist I realised that I was fortunate. After the exhibition finished I took a drive up to Dalwhinnie, and introduced myself. The staff knew nothing about the project, so I took the tour that was very informative. This tour without realising it gave me the handle upon which to base the commission - Dalwhinnie means the meeting place. On completing the tour, I was greeted by a member of staff who stated that they had received an email, alerting them of my arrival that very morning, The site manager would like to meet us, if there was anything that they could do to assist they would be only too pleased, I mentioned that I had hoped to get one or two photographs of the inside of the distillery. After monitoring the atmosphere and taking the necessary health and safety precautions they allowed me the privilege of taking a few photographs. I cannot say just how accommodating and knowledgeable the staff at Dalwhinnie were. On the journey home thoughts of the history and location condensed. Dalwhinnie was a meeting place for cattle drovers on the way to the lowland markets, and today the distillery is still a nexus a meeting place where the golden grain of sustenance, meets the rugged hills, the sparkling highland waters and the purple heather join in friendship, warmth and knowledge to produce the gentle spirit in harmony that is Dalwhinnie. And so the idea was formed. The painting called out to be produced in oils, but due to the tight schedule I needed something that dried quickly so I used artists acrylics painted on prepared canvas. Having taken numerous photographs of the setting from all directions I wanted a view that showed the distillery’s main features, nestled within the landscape. Once the view had been chosen the style had to be formalised a style that emphasised strong contrasts and colour to facilitate printing, the result (see attachment) is a picture that captures the ambience of the Highlands and Dalwhinnie. The “Home of the Gentle Spirit” More about this artist
Barleycorn: the Spirit of Glenkinchie Like its delightfully gentle malt, much of the landscape to the south of Edinburgh is subtly golden in colour. So what better way to capture this rolling countryside than to do as Mike Shepley does, and mix whisky itself with the watercolours? More about this artist
Lagavulin Outlook The pungent, dark Lagavulin embodies the complexity and strength of its dramatic coastal landscape - making the view from the distillery the natural subject matter for artist James Dunbar. -------------------- Jim Dunbar - Lagavulin Distillery As I rarely use photographs as references, I went to Islay to paint the distillery on site. Once on Islay, I made a few sketches initially to work out a suitable composition. The weather was bright and dry and the visibility was good. The result was a true recording of the shoreline that is very similar to the work I have been doing on the Angus coast for the past three years. The title of the work - Lagavulin Outlook - is the direct reference to the distillery. The painting shows Lagavulin Bay onto which the distillery looks. It also shows Dunyvaig Castle, the stronghold of the Lord of the Isles where King James IV, reputedly, first tasted distilled spirits. The second painting – a view back across the bay - was very different due specifically to the extremely changeable weather. One minute the sun was shining the next it was dull and overcast ... with a constant gusting wind. The sea changed accordingly from a transparent turquoise to dark grey – not the ideal conditions for outdoor painting! My work comes out of exploring the connections between people and their environment, especially the spiritual aspects that develop over time. Lagavulin Bay, safe haven for the Lords of the Isles, had all of the qualities I look for. More about this artist
TheDistillery at Oban The stills used at Oban are among the smallest in Scotland. So it's hardly surprising that in this painting, Sara Mead has sought to represent both the cramped nature of the site and the unmistakable vibrancy of this West Highland malt. More about this artist
Beanntan dubha a cheo (Misty Black Hills) The Cuillin Mountains dominate the Skye village of Carbost, home to the Talisker distillery. From the end of the pier, as Selma Rebus noted, their imposing dark hues mirror the richness of this legendary malt. Her use of batik is as meticulous as the care given to making Talisker. ----------------- Dear Sam, I am so sorry that Mike Shepley has issues. I certainly do'nt share them. May I congratulate you and your team for a job well done. I was so impressed with Matt and Brett and Barbra's professionalism. I am satisfied with the presentation of the cards and the website.... You ca'nt buy publicity like this! The announcement on Tuesday evening that the paintings might be auctioned for charity was the icing on the cake! All I can say is that I have enjoyed and learnt a lot from performing this task. It was for me, the dream commission! More about this artist
Reflections of Cardhu The silky nature of Cardhu inspired Jane Lanaghan’s tribute to this beautifully-located distillery on Speyside. You’ll find it up on the hillside to the north of the Spey Valley. ------------------ Jane Lannaga - Cardhu Distillery When I was approached by EHS Brann I was very pleased at the time to have been asked to carry out this commission. I was in hospital so it was a nice surprise – the time scale however from getting out of hospital to taking pictures and researching the work was very tight for time- the dull weather did not help either. Cardhu Distillery is only about 15 miles away from my house and is situated in the glorious Speyside landscape. As I approached it I was taken by my first sighting of the two pagoda style towers (1) sitting atop a field of golden crops probably barley which seemed to me very appropriate. The buildings in the distillery are a mix of old and new neatly laid out and well landscaped (2). As the golden grain photo did not give the best sighting of Cardhu I explored it around and was thrilled to find the pond used for cooling. Again the water with the buildings was very appropriate in whisky making and when I fought my way through the undergrowth to the other side of the pond I was able to capture the old original buildings and the towers reflected there. Photo (3) I found the most fascinating and I used it for the final work. The foliage framing the view of the buildings was perfect. Whenever I execute a commission I do two in case something goes wrong and then I choose the one I like best. Photo (4) was the second image that I used for a final picture – I was also pleased with it. I just love the way the oriental type towers of the many Speyside distilleries nestle almost incongruously in the Scottish hills and glens. After the photo shoot I went through the distillery and learned about the different phases in the production. I admired the copper stills glowing warmly in the sunlight and the huge barrels maturing the final product in the dusty gloom of the stores. I was interested to learn that more than one whisky is stored in each bond in case of fire. I did enjoy the challenge of the commission though I would not have originally thought a distillery would be an appealing subject for a batik – however as the picture developed I really enjoyed copying the textures of the old stone walls and painting the reflections of the two pagoda towers. My choice of name seemed obvious “ Reflections of Cardhu”. More about this artist
Overlooking Cragganmore, Late Summer Tucked away in a hollow and surrounded by a tapestry of woodlands and barley fields, the Cragganmore distillery is almost hidden from view. An enquiry of the distillery manager, however, brought Keith Salmon to this vantage point, overlooking the buildings in which this complex, floral malt is created. ----------------- Keith Salmon - Cragganmore Distillery I was originally contacted by Barbara sometime around the end of July. It was quite a surprise when she told me of the promotion they were planning and that they’d contact me after seeing my work on the Scottish Art Circle website. Barbara was thinking of asking me to work with the Glen Kinchie Distillery south of Edinburgh, but as this is a fairly rural/farming area I thought my work would be more suited to one of the Highland distilleries. I was also slightly concerned about the deadline they had in mind being so close. Nontheless, I was able to confirm my interest right away. From the original brief the project certainly sounded interesting. As well as being quite well paid for the commission, I could see the real bonus being the tremendous publicity I would get from my painting … the image being sent to around 350,000 customers world wide. The project required a painting based on the distillery but that the artists were encouraged to interpret this as widely as they wished. It seemed a perfect job for me. I did say that as I’d visited and walked in the areas around three of the distilleries, Islay, Oban and Dalwhinnie, perhaps I could work with one of these. As it turned out, with only just over three weeks to the deadline I received an email asking me to work with the Cragganmore Distillery on Speyside. This was an area I really didn’t know and as my partner was off for a couple of days, we drove straight up there and spend a couple of days exploring the area around the distillery as well as visiting it. We arrived on a beautiful evening and booked into a local hotel. Checking the map the next morning we found a small road running parallel with the Spey but on the opposite side to the distillery. I wondered if there were some interesting viewpoints looking across the river to the distillery on the other side. The countryside here was very beautiful - a mixture of low wooded hills interspersed by a patchwork of pasture and fields of ripening barley. We spent most of the morning picking our way along small paths near the river trying to get a glimpse of the distillery ... to no avail. The trees were dense near the river. We also realised from the map that although the Cragganmore distillery was very close to the river, it was in fact tucked down in a wee hollow in the landscape - impossible to see except on approaching it up the access road. Morning had gone. In the afternoon we went to the distillery to get photos of the buildings. The place itself was a mixture of new and old but it looked just like a small factory set in the countryside. It certainly didn’t have any of the distinctive architectural features of the neighbouring Speyside distilleries. The distillery manager and a couple of his colleagues were very helpful when I asked if I could find a view looking down on the distillery. I found na ideal spot from a field on the low hill at the back of the distillery - a solution to the problem. From above the building offered a much better and more interesting aspect. The location also showed the place set as it was, in a hollow in the landscape. My brief called for a painting that would be obviously of or about the distillery or product. I felt with this viewpoint I could produce a painting in harmony with the landscape (colours, textures and shapes) whilst still including the building, albeit a rather simple or vague form of it. I wanted to capture the essence of the place - not just produce a painting of the building. We got back to Irvine the next day with around 200 photographs of the area and the distillery to use as reminders. The field overlooking the distillery (from which I got the idea for the painting), was just pasture. I thought for the purposes of the painting, I’d work it as one of the fields of barley, giving a large foreground area that was quite textural and play with the natural colours of the Cragganmore malt itself …for this purpose I just had to buy a bottle ... for research only of course! I wanted to show the distillery as an integral part of the Speyside landscape. I originally planned to do two paintings, both similar but one being A3 and a larger one of larger A2 in size. I started painting both of these and played around with the composition but soon realised that with the limited time now in hand, I’d have to concentrate on just one piece and work out any problems as it went. I painted my piece as I do most of my work - in acrylic paint and pastel. I tend to build the paintings in alternative layers of paint and pastel, protecting the pastel using a very fine layer of matt acrylic varnish. The varnish is painted on with a large soft brush and then most of it dabbed off by covering very briefly with a sheet of kitchen towel. This leaves just enough varnish to ‘seal’ the pastel but doesn’t leave enough to create that ‘glassy’ varnished look. As the painting proceeded I found it quite difficult getting the balance between the more ‘abstract’ elements within the painting and the elements depicting the distillery buildings. It was a difficult balance to get. The painting was about half finished when I sent off photos showing 'work in progress' and I was ucertain as to what reaction I’d get as I was still not completely sure what the client was after. The brief led you to believe you had an almost free reign but then hauled you back in again. Anyway I received a call a day or so later from Brett to say they really liked the way things were going and that they wanted to visit my studio to see the work and do a brief interview. I felt a lot happier knowing this and managed to finish the painting by the time Brett and his colleague arrived. I sent the painting down to London the following day - two days ahead of schedule. I needn’t have worried about the deadline after all! In conclusion I feel that this commission has been quite successful. I’m not used to working to such a tight deadline but I have proved to myself that I can do it, when called to. The project gave me the opportunity to visit a part of Scotland I’d never been to before - something I always find exciting. Most importantlly thing though I hope the coverage the paintings get as a result will help promote me as an artist, and lead to even greater opportunities. It was interesting to learn that all the artists on the project had been chosen from the Scottish Art Circle website and hopefully everyone else has had a similarly good experience as I've had. More about this artist
The Spirit of Clynelish Many a whisky enthusiast has sung the praises of the creamy taste of Clynelish. Perhaps they feel, as does David Kerr, that together with the plains and the breathtaking Loch Brora, the distillery and malt offer ‘a miniature Scotland within Scotland’. More about this artist
Glen Elgin Through the Trees After many years championing Scottish art, a distillery was a natural subject for Lynne Scobbie. A sublime Speyside malt, Glen Elgin is mellow and sweetly honeyed, as reflected in the warm tones and smooth strokes of the painting. More about this artist
GlenOrd Distillery from the Fields The Black Isle, a peninsula characterised by golden barley and deep blue firths, is of special significance to Laura Newbury; in fact, it’s where she learned to paint. The distillery has been there even longer, however, producing its famously well-balanced malt. ----------------------- Laura Newbury - Glen Ord Distillery Sometimes an email comes in offering artspace in an exhibition, or on a web page, or someone inquires about paintings with a view to buying. Often these are of quite a general nature, and I have learned to be wary of them, because of two occasions in the past. The first of these was signing up for artspace in London, which seemed like a good deal at first, but later, having realised the hidden costs involved, particularly of insurance, (which had to be the sole responsibility of the artist), I became very scared where it might all end and pulled out, losing some money, but thankful it hadn't amounted to much more. The second instance was of a man claiming to want to pay large amounts for paintings. It was through someone writing in to Ali's website that it was revealed that this same person was a con man. In both these cases, I think I was caught up by the flattery, in the first case of the woman on the phone waxing lyrical about my work, and me! which should have rung alarm bells given she didn't know me. In the second, of someone being so enamoured of my work without basing their enthusiasm on any particular aspect of it. Contrasted to this are occasions where people I have known in the past have got in touch. They have a connection with me from the past, or some connection with the paintings which is on a deeper level; enough to make them want to own one. I mention all this because it has been a lesson to me in discrimination. The email which came in from EHS Brann seemed genuine for some reason. There was no flowery language or hazy promises. It stated what was involved in the commission, and what the payment would be. There was a name to contact. There was guidance about how to find out about the whiskies and locations. It was made clear that the artist was free to interpret the subject in their own style. A whisky company would obviously be looking for an appealing landscape image, I thought. Given that the whiskies are like works of art themselves being made from the water of the place where the distillery is situated, I reckoned that within the 13 locations of the distilleries, there would be great scope for the type of image I like to make. I like to capture the spirit of a place and the whisky topic seemed to fit! I also thought that it would not be in the interests of a major whisky company to treat artists in a shabby way. Ali got on the phone then. He also had a good feeling about this project. I thought, If Ali feels this is okay, then it is! and proceeded. Emails I sent to Barbra Drummond Hay were always directly responded to, and she was very helpful This put me at ease. I think, having a good feeling about a project and knowing you have support and respect gives confidence. I needed confidence, having come out of a period of finding it difficult to make time to do my own painting. It was therefore in a personal way, a great opportunity for me. After a false start, when I drove up to Dalwhinnie one day I had free, thinking to do some research and sketches, and thinking we had to choose our distillery ourselves, I returned home to find I had been allocated Glen Ord. I was delighted, and didn't feel the Dalwhinnie day had been wasted. As it happened, I had finished my schooling in Inverness, and had done a little work experience in a graphics studio in Muir of Ord, before starting Art College. I had also been on an art course at Raddery House on the Black Isle, when in 5th year at school, and then later, as a newly qualified art teacher in Inverness, had also taught on one of these courses for talented children, at Tarradale House on the Black Isle. I had in addition memories of cycling there and painting in the long hot summers of the late 1970s, before the Kessock Bridge had been built, and the crossing was by ferry. All this gave me such a feel good factor that the visit to Glen Ord did not feel like work at all. In addition, the people at the Distillery could not have been more welcoming and helpful. Having had a good look round, and made some sketches, I set my heart on doing a painting of the copper stills lit up at night, as seen through the large plate glass windows from the road. I thought the image would be suitably cosy looking for a Christmas card. I knew this was also the image which the men who worked there would favour. It was nice feeling like a mad artist again, knowing I would be paid for the work, sitting in the dark under the trees and making drawings of the shining copper through the glass windows opposite. The following day I made more sketches and despite rain, managed to do a complete painting from the back of the distillery, which I thought would be useful as reference. Once home I set about taking 3 images and putting them together. The images of the copper stills lit up at night would form the central part of the composition, with a view of the old pagoda towers above, whilst the bottom foreground section below the stills, depicted a whisky barrel with Glen Ord written across it. I began to wonder what the other artists had chosen, and put myself under pressure a bit trying to show off my ability to depict the reflective copper surfaces of the stills. But this pressure felt quite good and I was enjoying the challenge. I am used to encouraging the students I teach to push themselves to tackle more difficult challenges. Now I was doing this for myself. It wasn't until the time came to send in our pictures of the work in progress, that I received a phonecall from the Art Director of the project. He was extremely encouraging, and said the staff at the company really liked all the images. However, they were uncertain about the composition of the projected final image. I think he understood what I was trying to do, but was aware he had to sell the image on to a client, and that the person may not be an artist and it needed to be clear how this final image would work. Perhaps if I had finished my idea and presented it complete, it would not have been a problem. I was very impressed that he had taken time out to speak to me and discuss the images, and selling them on. He could have simply rejected my plan. On discussion, it became clear that everyone had liked, possibly preferred the small painting I had made very spontaneously from the back of the distillery. I realised I needed to compromise a bit, and put my own ideas aside in order to meet the clients'. We therefore agreed that I would submit the painting that had been done on the spot. Ideas of showing off my copper painting ability quickly faded, and I was a little deflated. However, I also felt relieved that they liked the small painting. Perhaps something of the place really had been captured in this image. Memories came back to me of art college when I had been striving for weeks to produce large figure compositions on huge canvases, but the external examiner had particularly credited the tiny sketches for these compositions. The sketches had always been quickly done with little or no effort. Retaining the spontaneity of my original response to a subject has always been a problem for me. I have often resorted to tearing pages from sketchbooks to give or sell to people rather than the compositions worked up in the studio. This is why I prefer to finish paintings outdoors. I was relearning the same old lesson. It felt almost too easy to be sending off a final piece which had been done so quickly, and to earn good money for it, as well having been given the opportunity to revisit some of the haunts of my youth in the process. I was and am still brimming with ideas for more paintings relating to the same place, the same kind of subject matter. I couldn't believe how many more ideas were coming into my head and how inspired I was. If only there were more commissions to fit these paintings around! It would be like a dream come true to be doing this full time! From all this I am learning that sometimes the best things, as well as the rewards just fall into our hands when the time is right, and it is simply a matter of accepting them and enjoying the experience. Hopefully our enjoyment will spill over into what we are doing in our lives, as well as into any paintings, and bring joy to others, thus the cycle continues. More about this artist
Knockando Distillery, Speyside An unparalleled vista with the distillery as the centrepiece proved the inspiration for Brian Madden’s Knockando painting, as well as the subtle, fruity characteristics for which the Speyside malts have become famous. More about this artist
TheDistillery of Royal Lochnagar In the heart of Royal Deeside lies the distillery of Royal Lochnagar, immortalised in gouache by John Wetten Brown. It’s a fitting tribute and not before time, coming 160 years after Queen Victoria herself gave this rich Aberdeenshire malt the Royal Warrant. More about this artist Send an eCard to your friends and family. Top # zz |
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