Tasha Tudor

I don't even know where to start with this remarkable artist. She is a timeless illustrator and a fascinating woman. I have several of her books, a few of which are probably collectors items by now.

She was born in 1915, and has recently turned 91 in 2006. She has illustrated nearly 100 books, and received Caldecott Honors for Mother Goose and 1 is One. Once you see a few of her illustrations, you get to recognize them anywhere. She uses soft, almost delicate colors, and her drawings often seem to transport you back to the days before cell phones, televisions, or even electricity for that matter.

She lives what she draws. (Or rather, she draws what she lives.) Her house was built in the 1970s by her son using only hand tools. She is surrounded by antiques which never have a chance to collect dust. She makes her own candles and soap, weaves her own cloth, cooks on an old fashioned stove, cans, makes her own ice cream and cheese from fresh goat's milk, and collects eggs from her chickens. I have a book called The Private World of Tasha Tudor by Richard Brown and Tasha Tudor which details her day to day life. If you're a fan of her work, I recommend this book for an inside look at who she is.

This is probably my most beloved book of hers. I have a well worn copy from when I was a child. If you click on the book, it will take you to Amazon.com, which lets you see a few illustrations. If I could show you the whole book I would!I found an almost amusing interview by the site downhomebooks.com. It's funny due to the complexity of the interviewer's questions contrasted with Tasha's extremely brusque answers. As the interviewer says, she suffers no fools! Here's an example (she was interviewed through her son Seth, thus the seemingly odd self reference).

DHBks: One thing stood out for me when I read A is for Annabelle as a young child. When you got to the letter “X,” instead of making up some insipid comment, you said, “X is the comment for which I've no rhyme!” I remember standing up and cheering. Did you have this in mind from the very beginning, or search for an “X” word to rhyme with, and then give it up in frustration?

TT/Seth: Tasha Tudor cannot explain the instinctive creative process.