Featured Maker // Mister Peebles
Helen McGinley,
Artist & Illustrator behind Mister Peebles
Helen has been illustrating and making work as Mister Peebles for the last 10 years. It started with a sketchbook full of animals while staying with her now husband in Tasmania, Australia. When Helen returned to the UK, she got a day job and began doing markets at the weekend around London, and the business grew from there.
Helen loved art at school, and she went to Bournville college to do her art foundation. Helen then moved to Edinburgh to study costume design, but often enjoyed the drawing most of all. A few years after graduating and after several day jobs, she decided to start a sketchbook, then a blog and then printed a few illustrations on her home printer. Since then she has gradually added more animals and other paper goods to the collection and Mister Peebles is now Helen’s full-time job.
Helen works in her studio in Leytonstone, East London. It has a lovely green view despite being in the city. Helen illustrates animals with a sense of humour using watercolours. Some of the ideas start with the animal, others with a phrase or pun in mind. Helen scans the original drawings and creates cards, prints and other stationery, including a wall calendar each year. All her work and products are paper based; she is a big fan of all things paper and stationery! Helen packs up and sends everything out from her studio; she really enjoys parcelling up orders and trying to make them a nice bit of post to receive.
Helen tells us a little more about her creative life, her inspirations and that interesting business name….
Can you explain where your business name comes from?
Mister Peebles was the name of the Guinness World Record holder for smallest cat in the world. He was only 6 inches tall when fully grown and I was fairly obsessed with him as a teenager. When I was thinking of names for this little business, I thought this little guy was perfect. I didn’t want to use my own name, but I like that it’s someone’s name, a mysterious guy that oversees the animal menagerie.
Tell us about your inspirations
I find animals inspiring of course, I love animals of all shapes and sizes. Bears are certainly my absolute favourite. I also love word play and the associations we each have with particular phrases. Making people smile is so nice, I love it when someone is cheered up by one of the illustrations.
“Mister Peebles was the name of the Guinness World Record holder for smallest cat in the world. He was only 6 inches tall when fully grown ... when I was thinking of names for this little business, I thought this little guy was perfect. ”
Is there a particular season you find most inspiring?
I love winter and feel most creative when it’s cold outside and I can be cosy at the desk with a cup of tea (or 12). The end of the year tends to be the busiest time for my business, in the run up to Christmas, so I like to hibernate and draw at the start of the year when it’s still cold outside. I am currently trying to illustrate a book about winter as I find it so romantic and inspiring.
Are there any particular artists or makers whose work you admire?
I’m a big fan of Oliver Jeffers work, he is such a versatile artist and very well-spoken on lots of important issues. I also love Edward Gorey, he was an interesting man and an incredible book illustrator, author and costume designer. I’d love to visit his old house in Cape Cod to see his collections of interesting objects and his work. I guess picture book authors are my favourite!
What plans do you have for the future?
I would love to keep running my little business as I feel so incredibly lucky to make a living doing something I love. It would be wonderful to add some more stationery to the collection. I’d also like to write and illustrate books, maybe in a quiet countryside studio with a view and a kettle.
See more of Helen’s beautiful work via her website & instagram:
www.misterpeebles.co.uk
@hellopeebles
