FINLAY COWAN
Born: 23 / 10 / 1966
07810 358052
-TALKS, LECTURES & WORKSHOPS on CREATIVITY
-BRAND STRATEGY & COMPANY DIRECTION CONSULTANCY
-CREATIVE ASSIGNMENTS ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES.
“Probably one of the best living artist/designer's of album sleeves in the world today, unbridled imagination and vision..”
Youth (Martin Glover – Producer of The Verve, Paul Mc Cartney, Guns ‘n’ Roses and others)
MUSIC INDUSTRY DESIGN
Finlay worked as a creative freelance with Storm Thorgerson at Stormstudios sporadically from 1993 until Storms death in 2013 and was responsible for conceiving one of the most popular images for Pink Floyd (titled ‘Back Catalogue’ or ‘Backs’) as well as many other designs, films and animations for the band. Finlay co-wrote and designed the stage projection films and animations for Pink Floyd’s record breaking 1994 Division Bell World Tour and worked with Storm and his team (including Peter Curzon, Rupert Truman, Lee Baker, Dan Abbott and Jon Crossland) on creative design briefs for Audioslave, Muse, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Janes Addiction, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones, MAster Musicians of Jajouka, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Biffy Clyro, Talvin Singh and The Mars Volta amongst others. He is currently producing work for Puretone Orchestra, Painted Word Records, Liquid Sound Design and many others.
BOOKS/PUBLISHING
He has written and illustrated five practical art books for David and Charles which have been translated into more than ten languages and have been published in over twenty countries. His first book ‘Drawing and Painting Fantasy Figures’ (2003) was a bestseller remaining on the UK art books chart for three years and spawning a genre of copycat titles. He has contributed to a further seven books and has worked for numerous publishers including Harper Collins, Quarto, Taschen and Bloomsbury. He has designed bookcovers for Will Self and Tobias Wolff among others.
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
Since 1988 Finlay has worked as a creative on marketing strategies for clients including Swatch, Uniroyal, Universal Pictures, Sony Entertainment and Columbia Tristar (on film release campaigns including Men In Black, Godzilla, Still Crazy and others). With his former business partner, Bill Bachle, he was creative director from 2003 to 2010 for Luxuria (conferences at Claridges, The Royal Opera House and Badrutts Palace in St Mortiz) and The Luxury Marketing Council Europe and has contributed to marketing campaigns and design for clients including The Royal Exchange, The Royal Opera House, Liberty and CNN.
INTERNET & COMPUTER GAMES
Finlay has art-directed numerous web sites for a variety of clients, he has been commissioned by various games companies to develop stories and characters and worked with award winning game designer Jane McGonigal. He has worked on numerous European marketing campaigns for games including the launch of the first Playstation, Crash Bandicoot and Tekken 2. In 2015 he was Production Designer on City Run for City Quests Media
TV, FILM & ANIMATION
He worked as an armour designer for the late Richard Hooper on Oliver Stones ‘Alexander’ (2003) and Ironclad (2009). He worked on costume illustration (on costumes for Jeremy Renner and Famke Janssen) working for designer Marlene Stewart on ’Hansel and Gretel: Witchhunters’ (2013), and costume illustration for Trisha Biggar on ‘Da Vinci’s Demons’ (Season 2, 2014). He has developed fiction and non-fiction for the BBC, Noel Gay TV, Jeremy Isaacs productions and other production companies worldwide. He was commissioned by the BBC in 2001 to conceive and develop a six part animated series and has worked with numerous production companies developing drama, animation and documentaries.
INTERIORS & RETAIL
In 1998 Finlay designed, built and managed Café 1001 at The Old Truman Brewery in London’s Brick Lane. The success of this led to commissions for numerous bar, restaurant and retail areas. Whilst living in Italy between 2003 and 2009 he produced architectural visuals and designs for many country house renovations.
STORYTELLING
He writes fiction for adults and illustrated fiction for children – he has been nominated as an artist and storyteller at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, which he has loved since early childhood, the museum has been one of his major influences.
TEACHING / LECTURING He has taught illustration as a guest at primary and secondary schools and colleges including The Chelsea School of Art and has hosted art projects at schools in Italy and the UK. He has lectured on creativity at executive level to various companies. He mentors informally.
EXHIBITIONS He paints stylized watercolours of beautiful women (and sometimes men). His work has been exhibited in London, Slovakia, Milan and Atlanta.
OTHER ACTIVITIES He has performed at concerts and festivals in the UK, Italy and Sweden. He played bass guitar briefly for Johnny Thunders (ex New York Dolls) at the age of 18. He writes and produces graphic novels and accompanying concept albums under the pseudonym ‘Subway Slim’.
SPECIALIST SUBJECTS & RESEARCH Myth and folklore (global with a focus on Scandinavian and Celtic), The 1001 Nights and the life and work of Sir Richard Francis Burton, The Indian Mutiny of 1857, Jungian psychology, mysticism and quantum physics.