I was approached by The Glenrothes, a renowned distillery with nearly 150 years of whisky making experience, to draw the art for their limited edition release of a single malt whisky. The Glenrothes 36-year-old 1978 single cask opens with charming peach and candied ginger notes, followed by warm vanilla nestled with soft spice.
I was able to draw from my cartooning background for the gig, not only in style, but in approach. A lot of the best illustrations take two incongruous ideas and stick them together, and I was encouraged to take the best of the two iconic locations - New York City and the pastoral Scottish estate where The Glenrothes distillery is based - and joyfully mash them up. A subway entrance is offset by the rugged Scottish foothills, a hot dog vendor also sells haggis, and a saxophonist jams with a bagpiper. I threw in a few specific references to The Glenrothes, including the distillery’s duck house and a nod to the natural springs that provide the spirit’s water source.
The art was painted onto a wall in Soho, and the whisky itself was delicious. What more can you ask for in a gig?
