David Calow

BA(Hons) GAvA

Designer, Concept Visualiser, Illustrator and Aviation Artist

David was born and educated in Leicester. Higher education included a Foundation Course at Loughborough College of Art and Design and a Degree course in Graphics and Illustration at Leeds Polytechnic, graduating in 1983.

On returning to Leicester David joined Eikon Ltd, which at that time was the largest studio in the East Midlands specialising in design, corporate identity, visualisation and illustration. Major clients included British Steel, Wrangler, Nabisco, Pallitoy, Walkers Crisps, Boots, Thorntons, Reeves and Winsor & Newton. He joined the Board of Directors in 1987 and ran the business for another 20 years working with all the major agencies, studios and printers in the East Midlands and beyond.

In 2007 David, along with his brother Robert, formed Calow Craddock Ltd as a studio specialising in concept visuals, illustration, design and Aviation Art. Areas of expertise include visuals for the building industry, local and national architects, storyboards for video presentation, editorial illustration for OUP and illustration for many local and national clients and design agencies. Specialist areas of architectural work include major historical houses such as Chatsworth, Castle Howard and Bolton Abbey and all five CenterParcs.

A passionate interest in drawing and painting “all things flying” encouraged David to become a Friend of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 2004. Election to Associate followed in 2007 and then Full Member in 2011. Along with brother Robert, David is also designer, artworker and editor of the Guild Magazine “Quarterly News”.

David has been successful in winning many awards at the Region Meetings, AGM, Sketching Weekends and the Annual Exhibition including the Bonham Trophy for best work at the Sketching Weekend, Qantas Trophy (twice) for best work in Other Media and the Pooley Sword for best work depicting Sporting Aviation. In 2011 David’s painting ”Moonlight Rendezvous” was ‘Highly Recommended’ for ‘Aviation painting of the year”.

David’s work has be exhibited at many galleries locally and nationally including RAF Cosford, Midland Air Museum, Stratford Armouries Museum, BAC 100 Exhibition at Bristol, Farnborough Aviation Museum and at the Annual Guild Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London since 2004.

Outside of the commercial art world David is very active in the East Midlands classical music scene as a performer on flute and piccolo with several orchestras. David is also in demand as a conductor and is Music Director of the Bardi Wind Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Rutland Sinfonia.