A House Tour with Illustrator Abbey Withington and her Studio Assistant Spaniel Zig

Right now most of the world is working from home, but for freelance illustrator Abbey Withington, it’s been her jam for quite a while. It’s not easy, and can be quite isolating at times, but when you’ve got a doughy eyed desk buddy (and I’m speaking from experience) it makes it a whole lot easier. I had the biggest pleasure of dropping in on Abbey, her boy Zig, and bump (a soon to be new arrival) at their beautiful home on the outskirts of Leeds, which they share with Abbey’s other half Josh. Read on to find out what a typical working day looks like for Abbey and her studio pal Zig.

Big brown eyes, a peachy brown bear nose and a tail wagging so hard it triggers the most adorable waddle dance - these are all the traits of a happy Zig the Springer Spaniel who after a few initial territorial barks, soon became my best friend and couldn’t stop twerking about it. I’ve arrived at Abbey’s stunning home, and I could so easily be in a Stockholm townhouse right now. It’s a minimalist amalgamation of muted cool and putty tones, distinctive artists’ prints and beautifully styled corners. And sat in the middle of the rug is Zig. He’s peering up at me, with a look that’s half confused, half curious and I can see he’s guarding his mama, just until he susses me out. Abbey tells me how Zig has become more protective while she’s been pregnant.

“Whenever Zig’s sat next to me on the sofa or on the bed, he’ll prop his head on my bump. Over the past few weeks there’s been a few moments when he’s pawed at my bump - he definitely knows what’s going on in there. I can’t wait to see how he is when baby is born - I have no doubt he’ll be as soft with him as he is with me. ”

As with all Pet Stories shoots, we have a brew and a good old catch up. Zig takes this as an opportunity to bring me his favourite toys. He prances over, his butt still happy and waggy and we have a play. I love how devoted Spaniels are to their toys, and how they are so persistent. Fetch is a game that never gets old for them, and that tongue-out look of suspense on their face never gets old for me. Abbey tells me about more of Zig’s loveable mannerisms …

“He paws at us with his big clumsy paws when he wants attention, which is pretty much all of the time. Who can resist that? He also has these really deep and quite sad eyes which makes me want to comfort him a lot - which thinking about it is probably the reason why he follows me around absolutely everywhere! Josh says I’m too soft with him and he’s absolutely right.”

“He’s a very soft and loving dog. He spends a lot of his day and night staring at me, as if he’s going to miss out on something fun. At first I thought it was a bit intense and always presumed he wanted something, now I know it’s just because he loves us! ”

Soon, Zig is lapping up the luxury of being allowed on the couch, with the addition of having the best bear hugs with his mama. I always say Pet Stories shoots are basically a day for your dog to indulge in all of their favourite things and activities. As Zig rolls around onto his back, demanding belly rubs, it’s clear to see he’s absolutely in his element. Either that, or he knows full well how to work those angles (which wouldn’t surprise me as so far this has been one of the most laidback and effortless shoots to date).

With Abbey working from home, and the pair spending a lot of time together, it means the daily routine that Abbey + Zig share has such an influence on their relationship. Zig spends most of his days under Abbey’s desk, snoozing away and charmingly unaware of the one-of-a-kind designs and illustrations Abbey brings to life. But he’s there. He’s the little sleepy noises in the background, a reminder that Abbey has company, and he’s always on standby for a break.

“He keeps me company and keeps me calm. I chat to him throughout the day, which is great for my head as I work alone from home.”

Abbey tells me how she’s been working on a new and exciting kidswear range, and not only has bump influenced the project, but Zig has too.

“After using Alan for inspo in our collab it definitely made me realise dogs are such great little characters to illustrate. Zig may make an appearance in my new kidswear project, who knows!”

Just before the New Year, Abbey and I collaborated and decided to do a creative swapsies. Abbey designed an Alan (my dog and Pet Stories mascot) inspired logo for Pet Stories’ new tissue paper, and Zig’s photoshoot was my way to return the favour. The reason I asked Abbey to interpret Alan is because her doggy line drawings are so unique. They are perfectly simple but there’s something about her impressions that cleverly capture the personality and charm of a dog. If I could summarise Alan’s character in 3 words, I’d say - Stubborn, adorable and human-like. And that’s exactly what I get from his side profile sketch by Abbey.

Visit Abbey’s Instagram pages @abbeywithington and @colourplay.today for news and updates.

If you’re interested in having a family shoot at home with your pets, get in touch emily@petstories.co.uk