Saturday, August 28, 2010

Tasha Tudor Day...

It's Tasha Tudor's birthday today and since I've always been a big fan of her books and art and the way she celebrated holidays, I decided to celebrate!  Clarice from Storybook Woods is hosting Tasha Tudor Day again this year so if you would like to see what others around the world are doing to celebrate this day, check in and read her blog comments.

I honored Tasha Tudor by playing in my watercolors.  I am fairly certain that she did not "play" in her paints since she was a commercial artist who used her art to "feed the wolf" as she once said.  But I'd like to think that once in awhile she took time to just enjoy her painting as a means of recreation and inspiration.  I painted four small cards and I must say that even though they are very simplistic, they took quite a little time to do.  It makes me appreciate the time and effort that artists take to produce a worthy piece.

Our children grew up on Tasha Tudor books.  I was always grateful that our library had an extensive Tasha Tudor book collection  and I'm sure we checked out every single one of them.  I always liked the way Tasha created borders around her pictures.  Tasha said:
I've always done borders of sticks or ribbons or flowers around my illustrations and I don't even know why I decided to.  I don't even remember when I didn't.  People like to find things in them.  Another appeal of my drawings, I think, is that they are done from actuality, not imagined.  I know which side a cow is milked from, and what side you should mount a horse from, and how to make a haystack.  It's not made up.  The people in my pictures are my own grandchildren and friends, and the surroundings are drawn from my surroundings.  The flowers are growing wild in my fields or are from my garden.  People who come to visit say, "Oh, it's like walking into one of your illustrations."
 This picture comes from a book I own called The Private World of Tasha Tudor
I love to identify all the wildflowers and garden flowers from Tasha's borders, and I know that the flowers she chooses for her borders are the very ones blooming during that time of year.  She doesn't just slip in a daisy or a strawberry because it would look pretty.  If it isn't in the season of the illustration, it does not belong.


This afternoon I enjoyed a simple Tea for One -- Chai tea served in a kitten china mug and banana bread with butter.  I imagined that Tasha would have fixed herself a simple tea like this after a morning of painting illustrations.  Do you think she would have liked my kitten mug?

Happy Birthday, Tasha!  It's been fun knowing you!
Take Joy!

21 comments:

  1. Lovely little drawings you did. Always nice to enjoy tea too. Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You've inspired me. I think I should give water colors a try. I haven't done anything like that for years. I like your simple approach. Linda

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Tasha Tudor day to you! I'm glad you took the time to enjoy it and make such beautiful cards. By the way, I also like your 2nd grandchild ticker on the sidebar, I haven't noticed it before!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Tasha Tudor day to you!
    Wonderful post!
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  5. wonderful! Yes, she would have approved of your tea I feel sure. I, too, love Tasha Tudor, and have read all her books, own her cookbook, and would love to get a copy of the Private World of TT, which I've borrowed from the library several times. I respect her for following her heart and living just as she thought fit.

    A beautiful person.

    blessings
    Niki

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very pretty, Jody! I'm impressed. You celebrated well.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You have used your time to a good end. I am at least as charmed by your home arts as I am by Tasha herself.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful celebration Jody!
    Great looking banana bread with a lovely cup of tea! Love the sketches...so pretty!
    Lovely celebration post...
    thanks for sharing,
    Joanne

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, one more thing...
    I love your autumn'ish touches and have a suspicion that although TT celebrated all the seasons with joy, autumn may have been her favourite.
    What do you think?
    Joanne

    ReplyDelete
  10. Happy Tasha Tudor Day to you! What a perfectly lovely post. I enjoyed reading the quotes and looking at the photos. I think the way you celebrated Tasha with doing some watercolor paintings is just wonderful. (I really liked the pumpkin card you made).

    I enjoy looking through Tasha's borders too. It's so much fun to see what she has painted in and to see if I can identify the flowers and such as well.

    I hope you have a very lovely Tasha Tudor Day. I celebrated TT day as well. If you have the time, please stop by CluckleBees for a visit.

    Happy Sunday to you,
    Susan
    http://clucklebees.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Jody!
    I LOVE your little paintings! Tasha would smile.
    I had Tasha Tudor's Cookbook, and I think I remember giving it away as a gift. Darn.
    I checked out The World of Tasha Tudor from the library. What a gorgeous book. She was so amazing.
    Why don't you send me one of your cards? I'd frame it and put it in the Pom Pom room. I'll paint a little picture and send it to you, too! (Big LOVE!)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wonderful Tasha Tudor post! I thank you so much for visiting with me. :) Your pumpkin card is FABULOUS!!!! I truly love it. I adore pumpkins and this made me smile! Sincerely, Theresa

    ReplyDelete
  13. So enjoyed this post with you today! Happy Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a sweet celebration of TT day! Your watercolor cards are very pretty ~ what a fun project! I eXpect Tasha would have been delighted to join you for buttered banana bread and afternoon tea sipped from a kitten cup.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'll bet she would have loved your kitten mug! It looks like you had a wonderful (and perfect) Tasha Tudor Day Jody!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I loved you TT Day post! I think your cards are just charming!

    Manuela

    ReplyDelete
  17. Those old women definitely have a great talent. Her works are just so amazing. I wish I can visit her so that I can see know her personally. I want to know her better.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I just love your paintings! The cards are so wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is how I know I've been reading your blog for over a year now--I remember your Tasha Tudor post from last year! I love your watercolors and am so glad you take time to remember such a wonderful artist.

    xofrances

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm so happy you've brought out your paints Jody. I've been looking forward to seeing you paint, since you mentioned that you enjoyed it from time to time. I really like your cards, and I love how you make borders. Those have always been my favorite part of Tasha Tudor's paintings.

    ReplyDelete

I love reading your comments. Thanks for stopping in. Sorry, but due to spam, only registered users can comment.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...