Tasha Tudor: Life and Art Interwoven

Tasha Tudor:

INTRODUCTION

Tasha Tudor’s (1915-2008), art and life is the subject of our cameo exhibition of eleven of her original watercolors and graphite drawings for her nationally recognized illustrated children’s books and Christmas cards. She also illustrated the books of additional very well recognized authors such as Mary Louise Alcott’s Little Women (1969 World Publishing,Cleveland) and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgkin Burnett (1962, Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia). Millions of copies of this book were sold.

The artist was a talented storyteller and her engaging, skillful watercolors and drawings watercolors have a sensitive and hopeful quality that have given immeasurable pleasure and comfort to generations of children and adults. They are her visual expression of a dream like fulfilling nature-infused way of life with her children, dogs, and farm animals. Jim and I hope that you enjoy her artful illustrations and several of her unique books on display.

Tim Keny

Tasha Tudor (1915-2008), whose art and life is the subject of our cameo exhibition of eleven of her original watercolors and graphite drawings for her illustrated children’s books and Christmas cards. She also illustrated the books of additional very well recognized authors such as Mary Louise Alcott’s Little Women (1969 World Publishing, Cleveland) and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgkin Burnett (1962, Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia). Millions of copies of this book were sold.

She had a rich storied heritage in New England with a great great grandfather, Colonel William Tudor, who advised George Washington during the Revolutionary War and a great grand father, Frederic Tudor, that made a fortune from engineering how to ship New England ice in the 19th century on clipper ships to India and Persia. However, her family’s wealth had dwindled by the time of her childhood. Her father was a gifted but financially unsuccessful yacht and early airplane designer. Her mother was a talented portrait painter but not well known. The parents divorced when she was nine. She was sent to live with friends of the family in Connecticut who were artistic, enjoyed nature, literature and wrote and directed plays in which their family members acted. Her foster mother’s grandfather was Nathaniel Hawthorne, the brilliant author of The Scarlet Letter. Tasha, born Starling Burgess, was renamed by her father Natasha after the heroine in Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace. Creativity, intelligence and extraordinary interests and abilities were in her family’s and foster family’s roots. Tasha studied at the prestigious School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for a year and much later in England but she was largely self taught and stated that her mother was her teacher. She admired her mother's academic painting skills from an early age. She was always accompanied by her sketch pad on which she liked to depict animals, nature, and country activities with children. She had no brothers or sisters.

She loved the beauty of unfettered nature and was fascinated with her deep New England history as well. Tasha bought early 19th century dresses and fabric from antique shops and auctions as a young woman from proceeds from teaching at a nursery school. She would occasionally dress herself in clothing of that period which she sewed from these fabrics. Tasha dreamed of living on a farm with children and animals.

VaseofFlowerswithApples2

Back End Paper from book entitled TheNewEnglandButt’ryShelfAlmanac Graphite on paper

5 ¼ x 4 ⅝ inches

Signed lower right: T. Tudor

VaseofFlowerswithApples1

Back End Paper from book entitled TheNewEnglandButt’ryShelf Almanac

Graphite on paper

5 ¼ x 4 ⅝ inches

Signed lower right: T. Tudor

That dream came true as a function of her industrious and ambitious character, and her skillful watercolors. She was married at twenty three to Thomas McReady, Jr. who was a less than motivated real estate salesman. However, his perceptive niece encouraged Tasha to attempt to have her children’s stories and illustrations published. They lived in Tasha’s mother’s home in Redding Connecticut. After many attempts, she met a bright young woman, Eunice Blake, at Oxford University Press’ office in New York who was immediately entranced by her hand sewn books with blue polka dotted calico covers and creative engaging writing and watercolor drawings. Ms. Blake selected Tasha’s book Pumpkin Moonshine in 1938 for publication. For sixteen years her books with her illustrations and books by other authors with her illustrations were published by Oxford. Mother Goose was printed in 1944 and became very popular. She earned some significant financial benefits as well. She purchased a 450 acre farm in rural isolated New Hampshire with a dilapidated 18th century house with 17 rooms but with no running water or indoor plumbing. It had a fireplace and wood burning stove for heat and cooking. She was enchanted by her environment and raised food for her growing family with their farm animals and vegetable garden. With very hard work at writing, illustrating and farming she supported her family of four children. She divorced her lackluster husband in 1961. She had a brood of diminutive playful Corgi shepherd dogs as well whom she loved. She often wrote her books and painted her familial illustrations in the evening and during the long winters. Tudor assumed her mother’s maiden name of Tudor as her last name after her divorce and continued to make progress. She lectured about her books and entertained her audiences with elaborate marionette shows with figures and clothing made by her.

The next ten years, (1962-1971) were the most accomplished artistically of her life. She wrote and illustrated som e of her best known books such as Becky’sChristmas , The Night before Christmas, Take Joy!, The Tasha Tudor Book and Corgiville Fair. She received many accolades for her charming, whimsical writing and increasingly intricate artistic compositions.These included meandering rosettes of flowers, birds, baskets, fruit, and stockings and candy canes at Christmas time. Her decorative, beautifully and skillfully rendered vine borders increasingly surrounded many of her drawings for her books. There is an inviting domesticity about these borders that lends a visually lyrical and calm contentive quality to her watercolors. They became "trademarks" of her style. She also created welcoming and well designed watercolors for Christmas cards.

By 1971, with the stunning success of Corgiville Fair, Tasha decided to sell her farm in New Hampshire and move to rural Vermont to her property there where her son Seth lived. He hand built her 19th century inspired home with no power tools . She also had gardens designed to complement her rustic yet impeccably designed home. Her increased financial security enabled her to spend more time gardening on her acres of magical meandering flower gardens with idyllic colorful passages. These gardens became nationally acclaimed.

Harry Davis, her friend and business advisor for many years wrote a fine informative biography of Tasha’s life. He frankly describes her determined, creative yet sometimes exhausting, artistic pursuits. He cites one of her favorite excerpts from Henri Thoreau’s Walden Pond which captures her philosophy of life and art “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours”.

Tasha Tudor unexpectedly but joyfully was the subject of a one person professionally curated museum exhibition of her art at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center in Williamsburg which opened in November 1996 and was on view for five months. It was the most well attended exhibition in their history. The exhibition was aptly titled Take Joy! The World of Tasha Tudor after her illustrated book. It’s source is a letter written in 1513 by Fra Giovanni, an architect and scholar to a beleaguered friend which states “The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it yet within reach is joy. Take joy.”

Tasha was moved by the humble objects which she treasured from her home that had been so carefully placed in the exhibition with her exceptional watercolor and drawing illustrations for her books, Christmas cards, and Advent calendars. She began to acknowledge her artistic success to her confidants.

DuckIlluminate“T”(TheLameDuck)

Illustration for book entitled TheTashaTudorBookofFairyTales Watercolor

6 ¾ x 3 ½ inches

The international recognition for her art and her independent historic lifestyle reached an apex with a Prime Time Live television show that aired in December 1997. Diane Sawyer sensitively interviewed her in her home. However, she was overwhelmed by the attention this nationally televised show generated. It was hugely popular. She was frightened because of her innate need for creative privacy. She worked so diligently to earn a living for her four children in her earlier years of long hours of painting illustrations and farming which she enjoyed but were physically strenuous and financially stressful. Ironically, now that she had lifetime financial security and received incredible praise she felt threatened by the publicity. Her isolate soulful 19th century lifestyle which was her personal identity needed to be reclaimed. The attention became more filtered by her. Tasha focused on her magical garden, productive farm, beloved animals and her devoted son, Seth.

7 ½ x 9 ½ inches

SayNot

Her Writing and Illustrations as Art

We are fortunate to have at our gallery several of her unique artistic watercolor illustrations for her books and Christmas cards. We also have many of her books. They are her visual expression of a dream like existence of a fulfilling nature-infused way of life on her farm with her children, dogs, and farm animals. The multitude of her admirers were drawn to her inviting illustrations with their engaging stories and their uplifting quality.

Acorns

Illustration from book entitled ATaleForEaster Watercolor

7 x 6 inches: sheet

Signed lower right: T. Tudor

OPPOSITE PAGE: ChildrenWithSled

illustration for Christmas card Watercolor

6 ⅜ x 7 ⅜ inches

Signed lower right: T Tudor

Children with Sled is a classic Tasha Tudor rural scene created for a Christmas card during her favorite time of winter in anticipation of the festivities of the season. The older boy is hauling a freshly cut evergreen Christmas tree by sled as in the 19 th century back to the family farm with a small child, probably his sister, in tow and their loyal Corgi dogs accompanying them to their home.

The well drawn naturally posed children dressed in their warm winter wool garb are depicted as nearly parallel to the nearby traditional wooden split rail fence. This leads them and their viewers toward their homestead with the warn red color of the boys hat complementing the weathered red farmhouse and barn in the distance. The loose triangular formation of the sled, rope, boy, and dog balances the structure of the buildings in a natural way. Her narrative is complemented by adept pictorial design.

WomanwithChildrenatStove

Illustration for Christmas card

Watercolor 6 x 7 ¾ inches

Signed lower right: T Tudor

Woman and Children at the Stove which is another Christmas card scene is an intricately developed illustration which has richly applied watercolor with fine draftsmanship that clearly delineates the figures. The nestled interwoven patterning of the figures huddled by the historic wood fed stove which is enveloped with floral rosettes lends an enveloping warmth to the kitchen in which the family gathers. It epitomizes the artist’s vision of a well-bonded 19th century family with their loyal dog by their side to entertain them and protect them. The black cat warms itself by the stove as the mother prepares dinner while helped by her daughter. This harmonious watercolor exemplifies Tasha Tudor’s artistic skills and her vision of the idyllic country family as she imagined it and vigorously lived it on an historic farm in New Hampshire.

In the illustration of Rumpelstiltskin, IlluminateT for the TashaTudor Book of FairyTales the artist skillfully renders the hunched old man as he relaxes with his bottle of “spirit” underneath the “T” that is his chair. The stolid ocher “T” supports the reflective elder with his weathered curved hat of the same hue. The undulating branch behind him creates an elliptical design which completes the composition. Storytelling is combined with artistic acuity.

Rumpelstiltskin,Illuminate“T’

Illustration for book entitled TheTashaTudorBookofFairyTales Watercolor

6 ¾ x 3 ½ inches

In Tasha Tudors illustration for Louisa May Alcott’s acclaimed novel Little Women entitled Waiting for Laurie to Come a more romantic thoughtful moment is a key focus of this illustration. The sweeping lyrical flowing lines of the sitter’s dress complement the delicate curls of her shimmering blonde hair. She has a reflective quality about her face as she ponders her dilemma. The quiet demeanor and formal clothing of the sitter shows the range of Tasha Tudor’s ability to capture an introspective narrative unlike that of most of the books she personally wrote. The sheltering flowers behind the young woman and attractive pot of flowers lend a comforting quality to the beautifully rendered subject. The artist’s fine handling of the watercolor medium is evident in her sensitive tactile rendering of Laurie’s dress.

WaitingforLaurietoCome

Illustration for LittleWomen , by Louisa M. Alcott, illustrated by Tasha Tudor Watercolor

8 ½ x 6 inches

ThreeGeese(illustration for book title page entitled Amy’sGoose)

Watercolor

6 ⅜ x 8 inches

Signed lower right: T. Tudor

Three Geese demonstrates Tasha’s range of skill with watercolor as well. Her depiction of the geese in flight is outstanding. The viewer feels the wind under their wings as they glide through the cerulean sunlit sky enveloped by diaphanous clouds. One can hear the honking of the leader of the flock. Tasha Tudor’s love of nature and wildlife is clearly evident in this accomplished watercolor.

Tasha Tudor was a talented storyteller with her whimsical words and playful watercolors who was a sensitive and hopeful artist that has given immeasurable pleasure and comfort to generations of children and adults. Jim and I hope that you enjoy her artful illustrations and several of her unique books on display.

InFieldsofButtercups

Illustration from book entitled ATaleForEaster Watercolor

7 x 6 inches: sheet