Meet the Artist: Hélène Magisson

‘It’s about supporting the text, enriching it, trying to surprise.’

Mia Macrossan talks to Hélène Magisson who is a critically acclaimed Australian illustrator of many books for children. Before Hélène turned to book illustration, she was a painting restorer in Paris, where she was also trained in the art of medieval illumination. Her children’s books are widely known and loved across the world. Her timeless style lends itself naturally to classics, such as The Velveteen Rabbit, and also universal contemporary stories, such as Before You Were Born  by Katrina Germein. Hélène is frequently recognised by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Most recently, she was awarded the CBCA 2025 Notable Picture Book Award for Willow’s Gumboots, by Beverley McWilliams.

Hélène is one of the artists exhibiting her work at the 2025 Book Links Exhibition: StoryArt at the Richard Randall Gallery 4 -13 April.

When did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?
I believe I’ve always had an artist’s soul, particularly sensitive to everything that conveys beauty, whether through dance, music, or painting. I wanted to be everything at once: a musician, a dancer, and a painter, to point out all that is beautiful in our world and fill everyone’s minds and heart with it. But I chose painting when I fell under the spell of Watteau’s Mezzetin at an exhibition in Paris when I was 15. It was a true revelation. I went on to study art conservation and worked in Paris as a painting restorer. Later, when I moved to Australia with my family, I chose to become an illustrator. It was in 2013 when Sophia Withfield from New Frontier offered me the opportunity to illustrate The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco. That launched my career, and since then, I’ve never stopped working on wonderful, diverse projects.

What were your favourite illustrations/illustrator as a child?
I don’t recall specific illustrator names from my childhood. What I remember most are the stories my mother would tell me when I was little. I would nestle against her shoulder, and lulled by her voice and the sounds of the night, my imagination would bloom through the tales of Perrault, Grimm, and especially Andersen, whom I loved dearly. We lived in Kenya, and some evenings, a mongoose would settle on a beam above our heads to listen. She would watch us with her large eyes. Like the mongoose, I listened more than I looked at the illustrations. It remains a wonderful childhood memory. Since then, I’ve never stopped loving children’s literature. It wasn’t until adulthood when I had my children that I became particularly sensitive to illustrations.

What is your preferred medium to work in?
I love watercolour for the transparent and light beauty of its colours. Working on paper creates a magnificent texture. That remains my foundation. Then I scan my work and develop it digitally on my tablet. I create a mix between two techniques that allows me to achieve beautiful effects while preserving the natural and warm aspect unique to watercolour.

How would you describe your art style?
People often say my style is gentle, charming, poetic, and whimsical, that it produces a feeling of tranquillity and serenity in the observer. It’s a style that emerged naturally.

Where and when and how do you work?
I settle into my studio early, a space filled with light, books, and brushes, and work until late afternoon. I often work for nearly 8 hours, interrupted by numerous tea breaks, during which my brain continues to create, think, and imagine (and occasionally wonder if I’ve had one too many cups of Earl Grey). At first, when I receive a text, I spend a lot of time rereading it. With each reading, a new idea emerges. I note everything down. I draw inspiration from everything and everywhere. Then I sketch, developing my ideas. The first drafts follow. Gradually, this leads to the storyboard. Next, I move on to more developed and precise roughs.
This first stage is crucial and exciting. I think it’s the one I prefer. It’s about supporting the text, enriching it, trying to surprise. I love this time of real collaboration with the art director. Finally, when everything seems solidly constructed, I begin with colour. The tones harmonize to give more depth to the drawings and the story. This is also a very satisfying stage because while my brush glides across the page, I listen to great literary classics as audiobooks. So when I’m painting thousands of leaves on a page (it happens), my mind feeds on beautiful stories that have marked our literature.

Is there an iconic children’s work that you would like to illustrate?
There are so many books I dream of illustrating. I would start with those that cradled my childhood especially the fairy tales mentioned above, but also folk tales from foreign countries that transport us into the past of other cultures. I would also love to illustrate books that touch both adults and young people like The Little Prince by Saint Exupery. Illustration isn’t just for children. I believe adults can be just as moved by it. I myself found Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men fully illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer really fascinating, as well as George Orwell’s Animal Farm illustrated by Quentin Greban.

Is/are there artist/s working today that you admire?
I am a big fan of Rebecca Dautremer, Quentin Greban and Shaun Tan, not only because of their style that I genuinely love but also for the way they support the text. Their work is brilliant, and they often surprise me, which is what I like most. I also deeply appreciate Jane Ray’s style for her generous and rich colours and that dreamy, poetic quality. The work of Alison Jay captivates me with its imaginative approach. I also love Anne Herbault’s poetic and spontaneous illustrations, as well as Beatrice Allemagna’s unconventional style.

Can you tell us something about the pieces that you are going to exhibit at the Richard Randall Art Studio?
At the Richard Randall Art Studio, I’ll be exhibiting a selection of illustrations from my most recent picture books: pieces from Mumma Bear by Rory H. Mather (Scholastic), Willow’s Gumboots by Beverley McWilliams (Midnight Sun) and The Noisy Noisy City by Enrdew Kelly (Wild Dog Books). My style has been continuously evolving throughout my career, and these recent works best reflect where I am now as an artist. There will be original illustrations and prints that capture quiet, tender moments between characters, and compositions that invite people to pause and, I hope, dream a little.

As Hélène so rightly says illustration isn’t just for children.  Come and enjoy her work (bring your children 🙂 and that of the other fabulous artists exhibiting at the annual StoryArt Exhibition at the Richard Randall Art Studio this April, from Saturday 5th for one week. Books and artworks will be available for purchase. Join us for UP LATE on Friday 4 April, from 5:00pm @Richard Randall Art Studio, Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. Free admission – bookings open now.

Books by Hélène Magisson

Mumma Bear by Rory H. Mather (Scholastic)

Willow’s Gumboots by Beverley McWilliams (Midnight Sun)

The Noisy Noisy City by Enrdew Kelly (Wild Dog Books)

My First Animals by Helene Magisson  (Little Book Press)

Puggle’s Christmas and Puggle’s Song by Vikky Conley (New Frontier Publishing)

The Secret Boat by Mark Macleod (Dirt Lane Press)

What Did You Forget Tagreed by Abed Nassar  (Dar Al Saqi)

Quickly Quickly and Slowly Slowly by T.M. Clark (Womabt Books)

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco (New Frontier Publishing)

Before You Were Born by Katrina Germein (Harper Collins)

Claudette by Helene Magisson (Red Paper Kite)

All About Fairies by Izzy Quinn (Little Hare)

Sarah’s Two Nativities by Janine Fraser (Walker Books)

Miss Eliza Flowerdew Can Nearly Touch The Ceiling by Brenda Gurr (Red Paper Kite)

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore (New Frontier Publishing)

Lilly’s balloon by Katrina Roe (Wombat Books)

Jacaranda Snow by Catherine Greer (Wombat Books)

Beauty and the beast and Princess and the Pea by Alex Field (New Frontier Publishing)

The Whirlpool by Emily Larkin (Wombat Books)

Magic Fish Dreaming by June Perkins (Gumboots Pearlz Press)