“Quarry Tiger” digital piece for Concentric Brewing
I create things that are meant to evoke a response. If what I created makes you form an opinion, I’m making art…. Advertising is the rock n’ roll of the business world.
The original piece was created in Adobe Illustrator.
Every label tells a story…. Here’s the artist’s story
What is your art background like?
Drawing pictures as a kid turned into a career of making art; for myself, but mostly for others. I’ve been working as a creative in the advertising industry for years. Advertising is the rock n’ roll of the business world.
What inspires you as an artist?
The process. Coming up with an idea, picturing it in my mind, and then making something. It never comes out as I imagine but the process is always worth it.
What do you hope viewers will feel/experience when they view your art?
I hope they feel something. At the end of the day, I create things that are meant to evoke a response. If what I created makes you form an opinion, I’m making art.
Does this particular piece have a backstory you could share?
Concentric Brewing located in Portland, CT, makes an amazing Brown Ale. Concentric loves to celebrate its hometown, so very often they look to the town’s special features and history for inspiration in their beer names as well as their labels.
Portland is the home to the Brownstone Quarry, an Historic National Landmark dating back to the 17th century. The brownstone mined from these quarries was an important source for construction in the latter half of the 19th century. The stone from these quarries was used in a number of landmark buildings in Chicago, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C, Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut, even as far away as San Francisco.
Today the quarries are two unique parcels. One is as a water park and recreation center and is currently being operated by Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park, with the hope that awareness of the historic landmark will strengthen the local economy. The other is called Quarry View Historic Park and Campground (Quarry View) and is six acres of absolute beauty and peacefulness, operated as a not-for-profit.
At Quarry View there is a rock formation named “Clifford B Hanger” (Cliff Hanger for short), that has a similar look and feel of New Hampshire’s “Old man on the mountain.” Cliff Hanger, which overlooks both properties is made of brownstone, which seemed to make perfect sense for the brown ale’s label adaptation and since the quarry is sort of a magical place, I embellished the scene with stylized sky and mystical woods. The color palette is meant to have a bit of the funky brown tones of the seventies. The illustration was always meant to wrap around a can, creating a cool scene from every angle.
Anything else?
Homebrewing as a hobby has sent me on a journey that I would have never expected. The community, friends and delicious beer that has blessed me over the years has become a part of who I am. It was only natural that my love of craft beer would marry my love of making can art for the brewing industry.
The completed label incorporating the artwork
The art, can, label, and caption as part of the CANVAS exhibit
Artist Benjamin Quinn
The labeled can
For our 45th anniversary, we created an exhibit entitled “CANVAS” celebrating the art of the can…. Or more specifically, the label art ON the cans of our beer-brewing customers. More about CANVAS
Amherst Label founded 1978 More
The complete CANVAS exhibit
Every label tells a story….
CLICK to learn more about Amherst Label’s commitment to helping breweries tell their stories.
