Inspirations, illustrations and so much more abound in this interview with the fabulous Helene, whose depictions of modern day parenting have won Mums over around the world. We talk favourite books, motherhood and how to nurture that creative spirit in our kids...
TLH: tell me more about you?
H: Hello! I’m Helene, I originally come from a little place in the Midlands called Ashby-de-la-Zouch, but I now live by the sea in Cornwall with my partner and our little girl (the sleep thief)
TLH: was art your favourite subject in school?
H: Absolutely! I have always loved drawing, painting and creating. I can remember winning a Christmas card competition at primary school with a picture of three little cats carol singing. The design was made into cards and sold for charity, I was so chuffed!
TLH: what first sparked your creative passions?
H: My mum is a very good artist and always encouraged me to draw and paint when I was younger. She would read to us every night and I’ve always loved children’s book illustration. Years before I had my own daughter my bookshelves were packed with kid’s books! Some of them are so precious to me I still don’t let her touch them! Maybe when she’s older... maybe!
TLH: which artists have personally inspired/influenced you in your life?
H: I grew up reading The Tiger who came to Tea so love Judith Kerr. My favourite illustrators are Oliver Jeffers, Axel Scheffler and Quentin Blake.
TLH: is there an author you’d absolutely love to illustrate for?
H: Roald Dahl (sadly not possible) or Julia Donaldson…I think she’s one of the few children’s authors who can actually rhyme! Believe me…It makes reading the same book for the 20th time that week much more bearable.
TLH: your take on parenting/mum life is so on point, what kinds of reactions do you get from mums to your illustrations?
H: Thanks! I’ve been flabbergasted by the response actually! I love drawing and my mind is obviously full of ‘mum stuff’ so it’s all coming out on paper, I’ve never been very good at disguising the truth…I’m just so pleased that so many people can relate.
I’ve had some lovely messages from mums saying that my illustrations have made them feel like they’re not alone on this crazy parenting rollercoaster…which is lovely to hear.
TLH: how do you juggle your creative self and your parental self?
H: It’s a struggle! Most of the time I try to ignore the housework and work on my illustrations whilst my daughter is at pre-school, or in the evenings when she’s finally gone to sleep!
TLH: where has your illustrated life taken you (professionally speaking)?
H: Ha! Not very far! I am currently working in Marketing for a children’s clothing brand which I really enjoy. I’m mostly just doing illustrations for fun, with the odd commission here and there.
TLH: does your daughter love to draw like her mama?
H: Yep, she loves it, she comes back from pre-school every week with a handful of ‘beautiful drawings’ (usually indecipherable blobs and squiggles that I feel guilty about throwing in the recycling bin)
TLH: what advice would you give to young budding artists (and their parents)?
H: I would encourage all young artists to just start creating, use your imagination and try lots of different techniques until you find one you like using the best. And don’t forget it doesn’t have to be perfect, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
For parents…There are loads of cool art tutorials on youtube for kids to try, if you can stop them putting the cartoons on first.
TLH: working in watercolour, does it concern you that with the advent of technology true art mediums will die out?
H: Well I use watercolours and gouache for the initial illustration, then tidy them up in photoshop, so I think that technology is great! As a messy artist it allows me to create something much more polished. I don’t really worry about the actual process of creating original art dying out, I think that spending a few hours using a paintbrush and paper is like a meditation for a lot of artists, something that you can’t get from sitting at a computer screen.
TLH: If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be?
H: 1 Sleep
2 More Sleep
3 Free wine
