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Sweet digital art for Pipe Dream’s Honey Pale Ale

July 22, 2023 | James Cutler

Reading Time: 6 minutes

I create art to market our beer. I’m often looking to get a reaction from the viewer so that they then desire to try the beer. Whether that reaction is wonderment, amusement or even offense, it doesn’t matter to me as long as my work has done the job of getting noticed.

Digitally created in Photoshop from a thumbnail sketch

Every label tells a story…. Here’s the artist’s story

What is your art background like?

I spent six years as a commuter student to the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. My campus was right across the bridge from Fenway Park, so that was pretty cool. In my last semester, I was told that my entire college career portfolio wasn’t marketable, so I would have to basically recreate an entire portfolio of work to graduate. I burnt out and couldn’t afford to continue school after that. It wasn’t until I found Pipe Dream Brewing that I really renewed my passion for art. Now I’ve been Pipe Dream Brewing’s can artist for almost six years.

What inspires you as an artist?

I’m really inspired by narrative; anything that tells a good story. I love artists whose work just immediately causes your imagination to fire up and start creating a narrative to corroborate with what you’re seeing on the canvas. I’d like to think that my own work has a bit of a narrative quality in that way.

What do you hope viewers will feel/experience when they view your art?

As I said previously, I hope that when someone looks at my work, they’re encouraged to begin imagining what the story behind the piece is or even to create their own story behind it.

Does this particular piece have a backstory you could share? (Process, Inspiration, Changes of plans… whatever)

I usually take the name of the beer as a starting point for inspiration but other than that, there wasn’t any particular story or anything behind this piece. That doesn’t mean that there couldn’t be, but I like to leave that up to the viewer’s imagination.

What else would you like people to know about you, your art in general, or this piece?

I create art to market our beer. I’m often looking to get a reaction from the viewer so that they then desire to try the beer. Whether that reaction is wonderment, amusement or even offense, it doesn’t matter to me as long as my work has done the job of getting noticed.

As the assistant brewer at Pipe Dream Brewing, I did assist in brewing this beer. The credit for the recipe and ultimate creation goes to Jon Young, Owner and Head Brewer for Pipe Dream Brewing.

Anything else?

Art has always been a passion of mine; I’ve been drawing and sketching for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, I haven’t been very active in NH’s art scene other than what I do for work. In terms of the craft beer industry, I’m amazed at how it has grown, in NH especially. When I first turned 21, there were literally only something like 14 craft breweries in NH and now there are more than 100. When I discovered craft beer, it quickly became a second passion of mine and I think it all has to do with the inherent creativity in the industry. So when I found Pipe Dream Brewing and was given the opportunity to mesh both my passions into one entity, I not only found a vocation but a true calling. I consider myself truly blessed to be able to say that I really do love my job.

The completed label incorporating the artwork

The art, can, label, and caption as part of the CANVAS exhibit

Artist Curtis Dopson

pipedreambrewingnh.com/

The labeled can

For our 45^th 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