Author Amy Fellner Dominy has created a rip-roaring reel of a novel, as unpredictable as the sea itself. Monster Down Deep will be leaping off shelves this month with a toe-tingling cover created by Frances Castle.

Ever since the shipwreck, California’s golden coast has been filled with treasure hunters. Each one is after the same thing: the lost diamond necklace. But none are more determined than Cassie Stein. Her dad’s beloved aquarium is falling apart, and they need money – fast! 

While racing to find the treasure before her rival, TJ, Cassie finds something remarkable. A fish, unlike any she has ever seen, that can understand her every word. His name is Blue, and his life is in grave danger.

To save her new friend, Cassie must do the unthinkable – accept TJ’s help. But with the diamond necklace still up for grabs, can she really trust him?

Based in north London, Frances comes from a background in computer game design. As an established illustrator and printmaker, has an innate talent for capturing stories in a single image. Her powerful use of colour and line provides captivating solutions for a wide range of creative projects, including album cover design and commercial advertising campaigns, alongside her work in the publishing industry.

Frances’s signature illustration style, reminiscent of 1950’s and 60’s printmaking, has been featured by numerous clients including The Guardian, BBC History and Wide Eyed Editions. She has also created a series of graphic novels called STAGDALE, which she both wrote and illustrated, you can find those HERE.

Frances was kind enough to spend a moment with us to answer a few of our quick-fire questions, here’s what she had to say.

Can you tell us a bit about your creative working space?

I work in a studio space in near Hackney Wick, East London, that I share with my partner who is a sign maker. It's great in the warmer months, but we have no heating and only cold water, so I have to wrap up warmly in the winter.
 
Your use of colour to evoke atmosphere and emotion are incredible - do you have a favourite colour palette? 


Looking over the work I've done I think my instinct is sometimes to go for a kind of turquoise blue with a complimentary colour like orange or yellow - especially when designing album covers. I do try and push myself from repeating it too often, and I keep an eye out for interesting images with great colour pallettes to inspire me.



Do you have a dream album you would love to design the cover for? 

I don’t think there’s a particular album that’s already been recorded where I can say, “I wish I’d done the cover for that.” For me, it’s more about finding the right musician or musicians to work with - people who are open-minded, full of great ideas, and whose music genuinely inspires me. That’s when I feel I do my best work.



Can you suggest three people we should follow on Instagram?  

 
Transpontinebooks - great for vintage book design and illustration. Csibe_Design - an illustrator/designer I recently discovered whose work I really like. Forgottengraphics - the name says it all.



What are you currently reading and listening to? 

Yesterday I went to the Higgins Museum in Bedford to see an exhibition about Noel Carrington, who played a key role in early children’s publishing and helped establish the Puffin Picture Books at the start of the Second World War, commissioning many brilliant illustrators. In the shop I bought Drawn Direct to the Plate, a book about Carrington and the books he worked on. The title refers to the printing process he used, where illustrators drew straight onto lithographic plates. It’s a fascinating book with lots of lovely illustrations and text.

I'm just starting work on a new LP, so I've been listening to that, trying to generate ideas for the cover.



Do you have a favourite monster? 

Yes - lots of them! From silly ones like the Honey Monster who advertised Sugar Puffs when I was a kid, to classic Universal Monsters and King Kong. 

Hook a copy of Monster Down Deep from your local book shop or via Pushkin Press HERE... and check out the back cover of this book too!

You can find Frances on Instagram or you can view her brilliant portfolio HERE

For more information about collaborating with Frances please drop us a line at info@arenaillustration.com and keep up to date with all our artist's news by signing up to our weekly newsletter!