CanDuCreations

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City: Alkmaar
Country: Netherlands

Joined: Oct 2007

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The CanDuCreations group formed when there was a realization of the truth in the old saying, “Two heads are better than one.” This cross-Atlantic duo of CANadian Ted Widen and DUtch Thea Walstra, combines the specialized talents and skills with the wide-ranging artistic flare that can only be achieved when people of high standards work together. Thea is a highly accomplished artist in her own right. Her passion for artistic expression was recognized at an early age and her quest to reach her full potential began when she attended the Artibus Dutch Art Academy in Holland. From 1968 to ’72 she learned the world of “monumental design”, a medium using tapestries, paintings, mosaics and statuary to decorate large buildings. Her success in this field was immediate; she showed and sold her works in a number of exhibitions in Europe. Two large tapestries were sold to the Headcourt in Amsterdam. Being publicly known has resulted in her being privately commissioned to produce specialized works as well. Never being one to stop learning, Thea stepped into the digital world in 1998. She has become proficient with much of the best software available for working with images of any kind, and she often moves an image to more than one program to achieve the result she desires. She has also become a photographer, producing professional-quality images that are now available through photo agencies on the internet. Today she is pushing the limits of the abstract fractals and renderings of her programs, and is learning new ones. She has large exhibition planned in India… and she has begun an enterprise of artistic collaboration as the Dutch half of the Can-Du Arts Group. The learning never ends. In western Canada, the multi-talented Ted Widen became a photography specialist, but was displaying his artistry in many ways. While his sculptures generally displayed the wildlife of his rural homeland, his specialized miniature works included a scene of the legendary three Sirens on the rocks. He has been commissioned to build life-size inuksuit, the human-like rock structures of the Arctic. His most unusual skill, however, is in a medium generally considered a child’s toy, the Etch-a-Sketch. His detailed images are scenes that most people did not realize were possible. Photography, however, has been his primary artistic focus since his teen years in the 1970s. In his mid-20s he learned film processing and print making, as well as artistic layout and design while working in newspaper. When professional photographer Robert McGouey became Ted’s friend and teacher in the mid-90s, many doors and windows were opened. He is now a published writer and photographer with works appearing in magazines, on the cover of business publications and stationery, and in several calendars. Several photo stock agencies now carry his images which include an expansion into computer-enhanced photography. Now he has joined artistic forces with Thea in the Netherlands… they can do art and digital work as a team.