Tasha Tudor| Creating fairytales

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse...
Another story to add to my, "Artists & Designers Series". Why I want to share a story about a woman that enjoyed living on a farm and from her cozy kitchen illustrated some of the world's most famous children's books; mainly...because she was successful. Tudor was a lady famous for creating fairy tales. And Somehow I feel that she can help anyone embrace their creative side. One of the many books that she illustrated was, "The Night Before Christmas." Her name was Tasha Tudor born in 1915 to Starling Burgess and Rosamond Tudor. The always busy Tudor was extremely proficient in her life, illustrating over 100 books before her death in 2008. Her whimsical personally lead her to live in a way preferred by the English; she also often stated that she would have liked to live during the 1830's. As she later proved this by living without the conveniences of the early 1900's modern life; choosing a home with no running water or electricity; even making her clothes by spinning flax into material. She passed away in Marlboro leaving her 4 children, with a Last Will and Testament, that regrettably severely separated their already distant relationships, with looming disagreements over a 2 million dollar estate. I thought to myself, how can someone with her sensibilities for family life not be close to her own family.

Although there is a troubling end to her story, her life also displays images of creativity, talent and an enticing paradigm of Tudor's fortitude to live a life that was to her deepest satisfaction, no matter how she was viewed for it. This is why it is a wonderful inspiring story. So join me.

To glimpse into the world of Tasha Tudor means you must imagine being driven by a need to survive as a child without the constant attention of your parents. Tudor was separated from her parents after their divorce, separated by different interests and clearly by her mother's choice to send her to stay with people that lived on a farm instead of allowing the allure of a big city to influence her.

This is where Tudor made her early convictions about living, deciding to live quite differently from others, eager to take on a harder rural life; over the trends of main stream. She dreamed of having a farm with chickens, cows and a favorite pet the corgi dog. She worked diligently to hone her skills in: cooking, cleaning, gardening,and sewing; anything that helped make a home beautiful.

Her father a naval architect, W. Starling Burgess nicknamed Tudor, Natasha, (originally named for her father), calling her this because of his fondness for a character in the book War and Peace. The name was shortened to Tasha after she was re-christened. She attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts around 8 or 9 years old. But credits her mother, a portrait artist, with teaching her to paint. She chose to follow in her mother's footsteps by becoming an artist, using watercolor as her medium. Tudor created the art for her books, pictures often bordered by details such as flowers, birds or other charming objects. She also created thousands of original works of art which appear on Christmas cards, Valentine's cards and posters.

Her mother after the divorce from Tudor's father Burgess relocated to Greenwich Village. It was then that Tudor was sent to live with a couple in Connecticut so she wouldn't be influenced by the jazz age. Living with this couple exposed her to theatre; the couple wrote plays including Tudor as a character, dressing up in period clothes and learning the lifestyle of past days on stage. This is how Tasha became fond of dressing in old styled clothes and theatrical themes. She started teaching nursery school and at the age of 15 with her earnings purchased a cow. It was her start to natural living. The dream of living in a English farmhouse and living with an early 1900's flair was beginning to take shape. She was able live her dream after she married Thomas McCready 1938, eventually having 4 children. When they were first married she wrote and illustrated a book for his niece as a gift, and named it, "Pumpkin Moonshine," as the book was written about the young girl's story of selecting a pumpkin from her grandmother's garden. This would be her first published book. Her husband McCready recommended that she should try to get it published. She was turned down by numerous publishers before she was accepted by Oxford University Press. The book, Pumpkin Moonshine, was published in 1938. It's seems spectacular that she developed this fine art of watercolor and only completed the 8Th grade. The royalties from her work on a 1944 version of Mother Goose helped her purchase the rural home that she always dreamed of, which was in need of renovation, the farm house had 17 rooms and 450 acres. Tudor painted in the kitchen between baking bread and feeding her children. She played games with the kids and had tea parties, and played dress up. She became famous for her children's books. After her divorce from McCready Tudor changed her last name to Tudor, changing her children's names as well. This act alone tells of her rare independence. Other books and watercolors followed, highlighted by some lovely contributions outside of her normal niche of children's books; to a few books about gardening with friends, one done with friend Margaret Hensel, "English Cottage Gardening".

Tudor did small things with style, something as simple as making homemade ice cream or planting a pretty flower; she was able to use in her writing or painting to share through her books in some way.

She had a home built in Marlboro,Vermont near her son Seth, which he built from the ground up to replicate, a friend's home in New Hampshire. Though it was a newly constructed home it had a worn look about it, to satisfy Tudor's liking, right down to the uneven floor boards. Tudor died in 2008.














Then she walked slowly through the high grass
written by Efner Tudor Holmes/Painting Tasha Tudor

Her simple way of life was inspiring because it's something that can be accomplished by anyone willing to embrace simple things and find a way to share them. As a painter, I know having beautiful unspoiled views of nature can be great for developing your eye for color and beauty; and can be easily shared with others on canvas.