GODMOTHER'S LEGACY

Tania (left) pictured in her flat with my mother in 2007. 

My exotic Russian godmother, Tatiana Prigorowsky (known as Tania), died in January this year aged 88 years old.  She had been my mother's best friend at university in London and they maintained their friendship ever since.  Her family moved to England in 1938 in a wartime evacuation.  Although she studied languages, and did other jobs, including being a high level interpreter (she spoke at least 4 languages) and working for the Royal Society, art and making things was always very important to her and a central part of her life.  She did fabulous colourful collages and in her later years screen printing, having taken a course at Putney School of Art and Design. She had her own particular style, semi-abstract with symbolic meanings, to abstract. Tania's pictures always had loads of colour, boldness and fun, just as she was in life.

Over the years she used to encourage me with my art.  I kept all the handmade and printed cards that she sent me, together with pieces she would give me on my visits to her.

I have just had this screen print  framed to go on my bedroom wall.  I have also scanned Tania's other artwork into my computer for inspiration, and perhaps to incorporate into future collages.

She is much missed.