Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Finley.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m originally from a small town in Ohio, where I grew up spending many hours writing and drawing comics and stories. Years later I attended art school in the suburbs of Chicago, and later moved into the big city to pursue a life as an artist. I remember arriving directly in Chicago the same year as the Cows on Parade event was gearing up, and I was commissioned to paint one of the cows for the Chicago Park District.
For most of my career, I’ve focused on illustration and graphic design for publishing houses and brands like DreamWorks Press, IKEA, McDonalds and others. It’s been very rewarding to be self-employed and able to focus on doing the work that I love.
Last year I started painting again, and I approached a Chicago gallery called Rotofugi with some concepts for a painting series. So we went ahead with that, and that is where you saw the Instagram photo of my work for the “Villains” exhibit. It’s a huge thrill to be painting again, and I plan to do more exhibits in the future.
Please tell us about your art.
Well, on the one hand there’s my illustration art, which is my bread and butter, and then there’s my “fine art” which allows me to be more expressionistic. My commercial work is drawn and created digitally, so painting, with its hands on process is the perfect complement to my illustrations.
They’re actually both inspired by the old comics, pop art and animation that I loved as a kid. Of course other influences have affected my work as I’ve grown as an artist. More recently the work of mid-century and abstract artists like Jackson Pollock, Willem DeKooning and Gerhard Richter have influenced what I’m doing now.
I’m interested in the idea of combining expressionism, pop art techniques and my own original characters. My most recent exhibit “Villains” has a sort of a retro feel and at the same time, feels new. I love the characters in the series, as well as the abstract pieces that complement the portraits. I hope viewers will have fun inventing a little narrative about what they think is going on in my paintings, and hopefully leave feeling inspired having seen something fresh and colorful and exciting.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
It can be daunting at times as an artist when things just aren’t going your way. Keep working on your skills, keep creating and working to take it to the next level. When you have success, save up for those rainy days. Reach out to your contacts and ask them to help spread the word. Keep the faith and never give up!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Art collectors can view and purchase an original painting from the “Villains” show through Rotofugi Gallery. You can see the series online at http://gallery.rotofugi.com/exhibits/2018-ShawnFinley/
I’m always looking for new illustration work and clients, so if you happen to be a designer or art buyer in publishing and advertising, I’d love to work with you. You can view my illustration portfolio at http://shawnfinley.com/index.html. I also have some older pop art paintings for sale there.
And lastly, if you just enjoy looking at new art from my studio, you can follow and share my posts from Shawn Finley Studios on Facebook and Instagram!
Contact Info:
- Address: Shawn Finley Studios
1850 W. Newport Ave #1
Chicago, IL 60657 - Website: http://shawnfinley.com/index.html
- Phone: 1-847-217-8635
- Email: shawn@shawnfinley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnfinleystudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnfinleystudios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnfinley
- Other: http://badlikeme.net/index.html
Image Credit:
Shawn Finley
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