A Distillation of The Flower Shop with September Studio and James Drinkwater
We’ve just launched our newest Tailored Gin called Flower Shop Gin, Archie Rose x September Gin, crafted in collaboration with September Studio, a much-loved florist and ceramics workshop in Sydney. Offered via our newly launched Tailored Creator series platform, you’re able to personalise a gin with one of three glorious art labels, painted by renowned artist James Drinkwater and inspired by September Studio’s beautiful floral art, along with the option to add a customised message to the bottle.
Flower Shop Gin is truly a “distillation of September’s Studio’s flower shop” in a celebration of Australian flora, native thyme and strawberry gum, with notes of bright citrus and peach.
We speak to September Studio Owner and Creative Director Bryce Heyworth and artist James Drinkwater to learn more about their collaboration on this special drop.
Bryce, what can you share with us about the process of making this gin?
BH: When I created this gin I really wanted to make it a product that had synergy to what we do in store, and people could really get a taste of September Studio through a gin. You know, the flavour profile that we created was exactly how we work in-store. When I'm creating floral arrangements, for instance, I kind of have ingredients that I like, as well as colours, shapes, and textures, the same as when we're creating this gin. It was more about picking botanicals that I like, whether the smell of them, or how they taste, and we kind of went from there and worked backwards to create a well-balanced design.
We’d love to know what led you to work with artist James Drinkwater for the label art?
BH: So I met James Drinkwater at a cafe. He was a good friend of another friend of mine who was an artist, and so we kind of bonded. I was looking at his stuff, and I was like, “This is amazing” and we've just been able to bounce off each other. I'll send him an arrangement, then he'll paint his embodiment of that, and then I'll go back and create something else. So, it was a pretty natural progression in terms of design with him.
What do you want people to experience when they taste this gin?
BH: I really want people to experience the flavour profile of an arrangement they create. You're usually experiencing our arrangements with your eyes and nose, and this is about tasting those arrangements and being able to distill what you see with your eyes into a flavour profile that you're drinking. So we've created this limited run of a flower shop gin, and I'm really excited for you all to taste it.
James, describe your art-making process, is the process the same every time?
JD: It's new every time. I am trying to surprise myself, catch myself out. I storm around the studio following a series of impulses, which requires trust. I'm not trying to make paintings; I'm simply lost in a process, learning to see.
Your art typically features a lot of rich colour and abstract shapes, are you drawn to certain colours / shapes before starting each project or does it become quite fluid as the work progresses?
JD: The subjectivity or theme that I'm working with drives the forms and colours. The pallet and shapes inform each other pushing the whole thing on. I'm composing like free-form Jazz. It all runs like an engine via the mind and the heart, down the arm and out of the hand.
James, you were inspired by Bryce's floral arrangements for this collaboration project. What elements of Bryce's work did you find particularly inspiring while creating these artworks?
JD: Bryce is an artist who swims in a deep harbour of possibility. Anything can become a part of the architecture of his arrangements; nothing is out of the question. He runs at life with magnificent urgency and vitality. I'm responding to his qualities as a maker as much as I am responding to his choice of materiality, colour and form. His compositions are both incredibly sophisticated and completely outrageous.
What is your favourite thing about collaborating with other creatives?
JD: To be honest, I rarely collaborate, but I found this offering too seductive and irresistible. Responding to the compositions and colour combinations was like drinking champagne and eating roast chicken in a big bath.
