The Anchoress' second album 'The Art of Losing' is out now, and it's utterly brilliant (and universally acclaimed). I was really pleased that Catherine commissioned me again to create the back cover image for the album (I'd done the same for her debut album 'Confessions of A Romance Novelist'). The above image of books, as if each song is a novel (and with this album, they really are), is the result.
Given the subject matter, the colour palette for this piece was pulled right back compared to the first album. This is always exciting to do because it asks the the eye to catch shifts between tone and hue more exactingly. This was certainly true when selecting and organising books for the image, and hopefully is true when you look at it. Also, where my own book prints tend to be quite formal in arrangement, with this piece the books are haphazardly piled up. Naturally, finding the right kind of haphazardness took quite a while - being convincingly spontaneous requires a lot of rehearsal! But again, working with how tiny changes affect the interplay between the eye and the brain is always one of the most rewarding parts of being a visual artist.
You can buy 'The Art Of Losing' from The Anchoress' Bandcamp page.