Naina.co Online Brand Building, Photography and Art by Naina Redhu #WearableArt Brooches Commission for Hendrick’s Gin

A few months ago, Hendrick’s Gin sent over a bottle of their gin to my apartment as part of a PR gift. It is no secret that I love a finely-crafted gin. Also, gin is delicious. And I love it when there’s an alcohol delivery – who doesn’t!

Throughout the pandemic / lockdown, I’ve been painting to keep myself sane and I’ve been inspired by all kinds of things. Quotations, a passage I read in a book, expressionist paintings, dreams, plants, you name it. When this particular Hendrick’s Gin bottle arrived, it was accompanied by rose & cucumber illustrations because the gin is supposed to be infused with well, rose and cucumber.

I thought that was rather odd. Who thought of putting together rose AND cucumber? I like cucumber with my gin and tonic but I’m not particularly fond of rose. I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the gin until I made a drink for myself and was pleasantly surprised. I liked it!

My brain decided it was a good idea to try red and green together on a painting. Similar to my feeling odd about the combination of rose & cucumber, I have always been unsure of putting just red and green colors together on a canvas. I thought it best to start on my mini-canvas, a 2.5 inches in diameter brooch. At worst, if it did not work out, I could simply paint over it.

The odd color combination worked out! After that I had to photograph the brooch along with the gin bottle and the packaging so that I could post it on Instagram and make the brooch available on my online shop. I made it clear that the mini-painting idea was not affiliated with the brand in ay way – it was inspired by the gin but the brand hadn’t asked me to do anything.

One thing led to another and after a few weeks later, the brand got in touch with me ( via their PR agency ) and commissioned me to paint another similar brooch inspired by the gin and expressed their intentions to purchase both the brooches.

To say that I was thrilled, is an understatement. You see, this is the first brand ever that has commissioned me to create art! It was like a dream come true. EPIC.

The brooches were signed, sealed and shipped out to the brand in their boxes and with their Certificates of Authenticity. Here are some photographs of the brooches and the gin.