Three amateur artists - Louise, Nigel and Richard - were given the opportunity to accelerate the pursuit of a shared dream by collaborating with one of Instagram's favourite illustrators - Phil Dean, aka The Shoreditch Sketcher. With over 100,000 followers and several books published, Phil is renowned as an artist who brings urban spaces to life in interesting and imaginative ways.
Our three budding artists spent time with Phil in London learning how to refine their skills before joining Phil at The Cairn to sketch the distillery in its stunning natural environment on the banks of the River Spey in the Cairngorms National Park.
The Shoreditch Sketcher
“Drawing in urban spaces gives you a completely new way to engage – to sketch a city is to truly see it. You are out in a public environment, part of the landscape and embedded in your surroundings. You have to embrace the freedom it provides. London is fantastic to sketch but The Cairn is a truly inspirational place in terms of the building and its surroundings, not to mention its whiskies!”
Phil Dean, aka The Shoreditch Sketcher
OUR BUDDING ARTISTS
Meet Louise, Nigel and Richard and their art.
Louise Smith
"For me it was about getting out of my comfort zone, reminding me that if I need to draw a subject I just need to get out there with my sketchbook and let time pass and enjoy it."
Nigel McAuley
"This has been a fantastic opportunity and since my visit to The Cairn I've drawn every day... it has truly been inspirational."
Richard Gaskell
"By coming to The Cairn and meeting Phil, I thought it might lead to something more than me just spending an hour on a day off, drawing for fun. It's given me a purpose to my art and what I am doing with it."
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