Lisa Mitchell is an Australian singer who was born in England. Her career took flight when she won the Australian Idol. She is a largely self-tought musician who is passionate about folk music. Lisa Mitchell’s whimsical songs have a neutral theme of nostalgic elements which makes her songs easily relatable to a wide audience. They are relaxed and cheerful, but at the same time have an underlying melancholic tone.

 

Folk Music is commonly surrounded by whimsical, spiritual themes. The singers generalise the song to be non-particular. They achieve this by including natural themes, often with animals, in their songs. The first thing that came to mind when I thought of nature, was the Art Nouveau period, where artists took inspiration from the organic shapes of nature. Art Nouveau was a style that developed during the 19th-Century and was inspired by natural forms.1 They included surreal elements and themes, which is very. Art Nouveau have a lot of unpredictable patterns and earthy colours, which relate well to Lisa Mitchell’s music.

 

In her album “Wonder”, Lisa Mitchell sings a lot about her travelling experiences, and gypsy lifestyle. In one particular song she references an inability to stay in one place, possibly based on her personal experience of travelling around. Lisa’s songs frequently recall nostalgic experiences. She has a fascination with memories, and old objects. Vintage materials are often connected with nostalgia, so I felt they would be an important part of inspiration for her album artwork.

 

I started out by researching art styles and techniques that particularly relate to Lisa Mitchell’s music style. I looked into the culture associations of the singer, particularly her lifestyle overview. I determined what kind of CD covers are already out there and how I can improve upon them or develop something unique and different. I also investigated various styles of typography, and experimented with which ones worked most appropriately for her music. Next, I developed up concept sketches based on my initial ideas for the cover, playing around with the composition, and also experimenting with various textures and colours to develop a style. I then developed up visuals and improveed them or resolved any issues that arose. Finally, I tested how the content worked when printed out, and resolved any issues. In the final artwork, I wanted to communicate the whimsical, light-hearted, and melancholic feel of the singer’s music.