ORIGINAL GREETINGS CARDS ON-LINE FOR SCOTS AND WHISKY LOVERS EVERYWHERE

Visitors to the wide-ranging Single Malt Scotch Whisky website http://www.malts.com/en-gb/Storelocator/Season+Greetings have been given a chance to bring delight to whisky-lovers around the world by emailing newly-commissioned distillery paintings by Scottish artists to their friends this Christmas.

As a seasonal gift to Friends of the Classic Malts™ (FoCM), Diageo commissioned a series of original paintings of 13 of their most famous Scotch Whisky distilleries. The paintings, each by a different contemporary Scottish artist, have been converted into festive eCards, all displayed on the website. Membership of FoCM is free but you don’t have to join to enjoy and send the eCards; and visitors can send as many as they like. As a further bonus, the art can also be downloaded as a screensaver that offers a dynamic slideshow of all the art works, and a number of desktop wallpapers that can be used to brighten up any computer.

The distilleries featured are: Speyside – Cardhu, Cragganmore, Glen Elgin and Knockando; Highland – Clynelish, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord and Royal Lochnagar; West Coast – Oban; Lowland – Glenkinchie; Islands - Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Talisker.

The intention was to select artists living and working throughout Scotland and who also feel genuine empathy with the countryside surrounding the distilleries and who would create art evocative of The Classic Malts™ and the landscapes in which the distilleries are set. The 13 Scottish artists were chosen through the Scottish Art Circle [www.tcweb.co.uk/scottish-art-circle]. With their guidance, a long list of artists was drawn up, from which a shortlist was developed, based on the suitability of artists’ work for each of the thirteen Whiskies and Distilleries. Approaches were then made directly to the artists, with the blessing of the SAC. Artist support for the project was overwhelming and the company was quickly able to successfully pair artist and distillery.

The result is a remarkable variety of original pieces, each reflective of the character of the relevant Distillery and, in some cases, the flavour of the Whisky as well.

Artists

The artists, and the distilleries they painted, are:
David Kerr                     Clynelish Distillery
James Dunbar                Lagavulin Distillery
Lynn Scobbie                Glen Elgin Distillery
Mike Shepley                 Glenkinchie Distillery
Jane Lannagan              Cardhu Distillery
John Wetten Brown        Royal Lochnagar Distillery
Keith Salmon                 Cragganmore Distillery
Laura Newbury              Glen Ord Distillery
Robert Gould                 Caol Ila Distillery
Sara Mead                    Oban Distillery
Selma Rebus                 Talisker Distillery
Terry Adams                 Dalwhinnie Distillery
Brian Madden                Knockando Distillery