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Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Widecombe Authors and Artists
A WEB-SITE OF BEAUTIFUL ART - A TRIBUTE TO CLEO STACIVA WHITTEN - 1934-2019
Go straight to Cleo's Art Site
Cleo Staciva Whitten lived in Widecombe-in-the-Moor from 1989 until she died at home aged 85 on 7th November, 2019, and was buried in the St Pancras graveyard. Cleo with husband Tim enjoyed living at Lower Bonehill Farmstead, participating in many village activities, while also much involved with the Royal Western Yacht Club of England (Plymouth), and enjoying every possible opportunity to snorkel on the Jamaican reefs. Cleo’s Polish father and mother’s forebears emigrated to the USA, where Tim and Cleo (as widower and widow) met in 1975, marrying in 1976. Cleo born in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, was proud of her British Passport.
Cleo - a wonderful wife and mother - was a talented artist, her talent even showing in the few pieces surviving from her teenage years. She used an unusually large range of media. Engraving and etching, painting in oils, watercolours, acrylics, pastels (including oil pastels), and inks; works included varied collages. Cleo’s pictures range from portraits, still life, nature studies, to landscapes and cityscapes, but with an emphasis on abstract studies. Latterly, she became fascinated by complex computer-generated fractal images, amassing a large collection but capturing only a few as paintings.
Award-winning Caladia 1985 and Iris and bamboo 1987.
An invitation to design a stained glass window for St Pancras Church, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was accepted enthusiastically. The south-aisle window may be the only church window in England commemorating Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.
Many times, as Cleo’s strength was failing in 2018-9, she’d say “I just want to paint.” There was so much more beauty bursting to emerge and be portrayed.
As a tribute to Cleo’s lifetime achievement, a 2020 website shows over 200 pieces of her art –
Cleo's Art Site
This website is a work in progress - as more pieces are located and photographed, they will be added – if anyone can help with images of the missing paintings, please get in touch. Thank you.
E.H.T.W.
2009 and 2011 Paintings of fractal images
PS. Driving through the rural Czech Republic in 1993 and buying coloured eggs at the roadside SW of České Budéjovice, apparently reignited Cleo’s Polish childhood skill of egg decorating. Her highly decorated goose and hen eggs will be added to the website.
The information on this page was last modified on February 01 2024 09:49:37.