Driven by a passion to share the magic of incredible rare whiskies, the team at Caskshare has embarked on a series of collaborations with bright young visual artists.
Specially created artworks will feature on the labels of Caskshare’s releases showcasing the designs of a collective of talented illustrators, the first of which are Martha Duncan, Phoebe Phillips and Evie Grace. Each of their labels incorporates a different element reflecting the enjoyment of special whiskies - and offers an adventure for the senses. Caskshare’s single-cask-to-glass service invites drinkers to sample a share of a truly unique whisky from a one-of-a-kind cask before it’s even bottled. Making owning single cask malts accessible to everyone from collectors to the whisky curious, the premise is simple: one share = one bottle and single-bottle shares start from as little as £40.
Collaboration .1 – ‘Home’ by Martha Duncan, Blended 9 Year-Old Malt (for Collective members only, pictured second from left)
The Glasgow School of Art graduate’s fun, colourful designs take inspiration from human quirks, overheard conversations, architecture and animals and she works mainly using the linocut printmaking technique and digital art. Martha’s design for Caskshare depicts the beautiful Edinburgh New Town townhouse which is home to Caskshare. Martha said:
“I often use Scottish motifs, including tenement buildings, in my own illustrative work which makes the piece a perfect collaboration between myself and Caskshare.”
@marthaduncan.studio / www.marthaduncanstudio.com
Collaboration .2 – ‘Out of this World’, Phoebe Phillips, Agitator, £75 (a second work by Phoebe also features on Agitator’s Swedish Four Grain Whisky, £75 - pictured left)
Phoebe Phillips is an illustrator and screen printer based in Somerset. Drawing on inspiration from pop culture - past and present - she reimagines nostalgic curiosities with an unmissable vibrancy through illustration and hand-crafted screen printing. Her love of the weird and wonderful pours through in her custom designs for these sister Caskshare labels. Depicted in her distinctively retro style of illustration, the labels combine to show a space robot and astronaut enjoying an out of this world whisky in an out of this world setting, together. Phoebe turned to the pages of her vintage comic book collection to seek other-worldly inspiration which she realised initially in pencil. With the concept defined, she moved into Illustrator, selecting a bold and beautiful colour palette that reflects the tasting notes of the whiskey itself. The pieces were then finished with an intricate stipple shading to add depth and dimension to the artworks.
Collaboration .3 – ‘Bothy’, Evie Grace, Dailuaine, £85 (pictured right)
Scottish freelance illustrator and designer Evie is currently based in Bristol and shares stories through bold, honest and witty concepts. Evie’s inspiration comes from what’s going on in the world whether linked to the environmental or social, and from the stories she collects through life experiences and conversations. A keen outdoor and cold-water swimming enthusiast, Evie said:
“Whisky and adventures are one and the same for me - a Scottish bothy with a whisky is the perfect combination. I wanted to show both the magic of Scotland and the magic of adventures by adding mystical twists to the starry bothy scene.”
www.eviegraceillustration.com / @eviegraceillustration
Amy Macrae, Marketing Manager at Caskshare, said of the collaborations:
“For us, whisky is about community, individuality and craftsmanship, and we’ve invited artists to help us convey this by sharing their work on our bottles. Their designs are bright and beautiful expressions of what's inside, taking elements from Scottish culture, myth and the feeling of 'home', along with playful takes on the experience of drinking whisky.
“We can't wait to embark further on this journey, amplifying up-and-coming talent and sharing this range with the world."
Further artists and label designs will be announced and updated over coming months, with full details at www.caskshare.com.