Artist, illustrator, historian and storyteller Tasha Tudor: biography, creativity and interesting facts

Today, even in the most affluent countries, you can often find announcements about the collection of funds for the needs of a single mother. Unfortunately, only a few of those who ask really got into such a difficult situation, as they describe. Most authors of such ads are either outspoken crooks, or simply seek to exploit someone else's sense of pity in order to facilitate their own lives. The American Tasha Tudor can reproach and at the same time serve as an example for such people. She could not only single-handedly raise and put four children on her feet, but she became famous all over the world as a writer, artist and just an unusual woman. Meanwhile, most of her life she lived on a farm where there was no electricity and running water.

Early Years Tashi Tudor

Born the future favorite of America in Boston in late August 1915. Her parents were creative people. Father - William Burgess - designed the design of yachts, and his mother - Rosamond Tudor - was engaged in writing portraits.

Tasha Tudor was the youngest in the family (she had 2 brothers - Edward and Fredrik).

Two creative people, who were Tashi's parents, could not get along together even after 20 years of marriage. Therefore, when the baby was 9 years old, they divorced.

Because of the re-marriage of the father, the children were left to live with their mother. However, due to the fact that Rosamond focused on her career artist, she for a while sent them to the upbringing in the village to friends - Gwen and Michael Mikkelson.

Life with Aunt Gwen

Later years Tasha Tudor with elder brother Fredrik (Edward died at the age of 5) lived with Aunt Gwen.

As adherents of the old traditions of education, Gwen and Michael did not give their daughter Rose and foster children to school, but hired a private teacher for them. He dealt with the wards before lunch, and after each child was free to dispose of time at his discretion.

The talent for drawing was manifested in Tasha very early. However, in her spare time, she not only made exquisite sketches, but also composed short stories to them.

Thanks to Gwen, the girl also got carried away with needlework. She perfectly sewed and crocheted charming little things, not only for herself, but also for people close to her.

While living on a farm, Tasha Tudor has learned to do everything in the household and has loved this way of life with all her soul. According to her, the years spent with Aunt Gwen were the best in her life.

Studies and first works

Despite the busyness of her career, the mother of the future writer tried to take part in the life of her children. When Tasha grew up a little, Rosamond Tudor sent her to receive formal education in a boarding school, and then paid for her daughter's education at the Boston School of Fine Arts.

Seeing that Tasha - an excellent artist and able to achieve much in this field, Rosamond tried to help the girl to make the necessary acquaintances. In addition, the mother often used her daughter as an assistant and model.

Tasha could have found a good place in this bohemian world, but the girl was dearer was the modest life on the farm with Aunt Gwen. Missing all this, Miss Tudor at the age of 19 published the almanac of her drawings Hitty's Almanac, in which sketches from rural life were presented. The following year she published another almanac of her works - New England Wild Flowers. This time it was dedicated to the flora of Connecticut.

Marriage and career of the illustrator

When Tasha turned 21, she met with Thomas McCraeady, and after 2 years of dating, the lovers got married. Thomas was the son of farmers, and not from the circle of familiar girls. However, this is what attracted Tasha.

After the wedding, the young people moved to live on a farm owned by Rosamond Tudor. Unfortunately, unlike his wife, Thomas was not so ardent lover of rural life. Moreover, by marrying the daughter of well-known and wealthy Bostonians, he hoped that this would help him gain a foothold in this city. Instead, McCready had to go with his wife to an old farm and raise poultry and cows here. Hoping that his wife will be bored with a monotonous life in nature, Thomas began to actively load it with all the "joys" of farming life. To his surprise, a city dweller, a Belorussian artist, whom he considered, not only quickly adapted to all the hardships of such a life, but also got a lot of pleasure from it. Moreover, in parallel with work at home and caring for animals, Tasha had time to compose tales.

Shortly before the wedding, the future Ms McCrady published her first children's book with illustrations - Pumpkin Moonshine. The main character of the work was little Sylvia Ann, dreaming of growing the biggest pumpkin. This story was so popular with children that soon the writer wrote and illustrated another 4 books of the cycle Calico Series.

Soon the couple had 2 children: daughter Bethany and son Seth.

Raising their children, Tasha invented for them various entertainments and tales, accustoming to work and helping to develop their imagination. Despite the fact that they grew up on a farm devoid of all the benefits of civilization, this did not stop them from adapting to urban life when they grew up and left their home.

Since 1942 Herbert Dubler has signed a contract with Tasha, and she is engaged in the creation of greeting cards and invitations.

In 1944, Mrs. McCready, who signed all her works with the pseudonym "Tasha Tudor", was invited to become an illustrator of the new edition of "The Tales of Mother Goose". The drawings in this book glorified Tasha around the world. Moreover, her works began to exhibit well-known galleries in the United States.

"Tales of Mother Goose" brought the family of McCraeady a good income. And since by that time the couple had a son Thomas, they bought a farm with a beautiful old house, which was almost 200 years old. Despite his dilapidated state, Tasha and her husband brought the dwelling in order, having arranged everything to its own taste, and four years after moving Tasha gave birth to her youngest daughter, Efner.

Despite the fact that by the early 50's the artist was in demand in the US, her family had a hard time earning a living. To have a permanent income, the writer opened her own store in 1949 Ginger and Pickles Store. Here everyone could get delicious homemade cakes and pickles, as well as books and postcards painted by the hostess.

In subsequent years Tasha illustrated 2-3 books a year. Her amazing drawings were adorned with Andersen's tales, "The Mysterious Garden", "Little Princess", "Little Women" and much more. In addition, during these years the writer has mastered various crafts, including weaving baskets, calligraphy, learning to weave on a machine, making puppets and doll houses.

However, Tasha's growing popularity did not please her husband, as he finally realized that his dreams of moving to the city were hopeless. The growing tension between the spouses eventually ended in divorce in 1961. All the children stayed with their mother, Tashe also went to the farm, and besides, through the court, she had all her children wear the name Tudor.

Life after divorce and a new marriage

The writer who was left without her husband and with four children in her arms had a hard time. Although almost all the food was grown on the farm, it was still not enough, because the children grew up, and they needed money for their education. Therefore Tasha tried to take a lot of orders and drew postcards and illustrations all free time and even at night. Children Tashi Tudor, seeing as uneasy mother, helped her not only on the farm, but also made various toys for the store.

Hoping to improve her financial situation, Tasha again married Alan Woods. Unfortunately, the new husband could not become a worthy companion of life for the artist, and in 1966 they parted. Miss Tudor made no more attempts to arrange her personal life.

Lifestyle "a la Tash"

The hard work of this woman did not remain without a reward: she was able to educate and help her children to get on their feet. However, when the youngest daughter also left her home, Tasha decided that the farm was too big for her. With the help of her older son, Seth, she sold it and bought a small rural house in Vermont, near his son. Seth helped the mother clean up the dilapidated dwelling and broke the garden.

His new home Tasha decided to equip in the Victorian style, which she idolized. Despite the considerable age, Miss Tudor refused to hold electricity and running water in the house. She herself worked in the garden and in the garden, wore water, spun a cloth and knitted and sewed her own clothes.

Daily arranged a traditional afternoon tea with pastries, which invited relatives and friends Tasha Tudor. Tales to all those who wished she told at the end of this ceremony, considering the conversation about books as the best pastime, like her adored writer Jane Austen.

Oddly enough, this woman was perceived by the people, not as an eccentric, but as a keeper of American traditions forgotten in the era of industrialization. From all over the world, fans began to come to her to look at her life style, which is an island of a forgotten past.

Last years

Despite daily physical work, Tasha lived 92 years. She was assisted in the household by the family of the eldest son of Seth, to whom she left most of her property. It is remarkable that with the rest of the children Tashi's relations are not so close, most likely, this is due to the fact that they all lived away from their mother.

In the 80-90's. Already elderly Miss Tudor organized an exhibition of dolls and dresses she had collected and created, as well as old household utensils. In addition, she traveled extensively throughout the US with lectures on the history of culture and crafts. While the woman had enough strength, she drew pictures and wrote stories to them.

After her death in 2008, her relatives organized the Memorial Museum, which everyone can visit today.

It is noteworthy that the cards drawn by Tasha are still produced in the US and are very popular. As for the books, because of the many years of litigation by the children, the writers about the will are not allowed to publish them yet, although many publishers would very much like it.

Translations of books into Russian

The domestic reader is little acquainted with the work of a writer named Tasha Tudor. Books in Russian are not yet available due to their absence. The fact is that during the USSR Tasha's books did not correspond to official ideology, that's why they were not translated or published, and today, because of problems with the heirs, it is problematic to do this. Thus, many people are deprived of the opportunity to get acquainted with American culture, presented in the works of a writer named Tasha Tudor.

It is hardly possible to read all the books in Russian. As mentioned above, none of them was transferred to it. Therefore, do not believe the ads on some sites on the Internet, which for a moderate fee promise to help download the full collection of works of this wonderful writer.

Tasha Tudor: cookbook

Miss Tudor created not only children's books. She wrote articles on crafts and US history. She also had an amazing collection of recipes for all occasions. Later, Tashi's grandson-Winslow-collected all the information and published his grandmother's cookbook of recipes. Full name: The Tasha Tudor Family Cookbook: Heirloom Recipes and Warm Memories from Corgi Cottage.

This edition contains about 360 recipes with photos and illustrations. Some of them were written by the writer herself, others were inherited from her aunt Gwen or taken from other sources. By the way, it is worth considering that in her youth Tasha won several culinary competitions, so it was obviously able to cook deliciously.

Interesting facts

• The real name given to the writer at birth is Starling Burgess. However, Tasha's father was a fan of Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", therefore, despite the record in the metric, at the christening the girl was named in honor of Natalia Rostova - Natasha. Gradually, the family began to call it the abbreviated name - Tasha, which was fixed for her for life.
• The name of the mother Tasha took because from her early childhood she was represented everywhere as daughter Rosamung Tudor. Therefore, the little girl was used to consider herself not Burgess, but Tudor.
• During her life Tasha collected a collection of dresses in Victorian style, which numbered more than 500 pieces.
• The artist was very fond of dogs, considering them to be true friends and reliable assistants.
• Daughters Bethany and Efner also became illustrators.
• In her entire life Miss Tudor illustrated over a hundred books (not counting the ones written by her).

The fate of Tashi Tudor is a vivid example of how a person who found a favorite business could achieve everything that one can only dream, despite the difficulties and misunderstanding of close people. I want to believe that the children and grandchildren of the writer will finally agree with each other, and her works will be translated into Russian and along with her touching illustrations, many more children will be pleased.