Sue and Hannah: One Plus One

It’s not unusual for mothers and daughters to hang out together, but Weekender found them, literally, doing so. 

The current One plus One exhibit at Full of Beans cafe features the oil paintings of Sue Howe and daughter Hannah’s photographic images.  

“She’s always taking pictures and I was painting,” says Sue, “so I asked her if she’d like to do it and she agreed. She has 22 photos and I have about 30 paintings – small, medium and large – in the exhibit.” 

Hannah, 13, a Year 9 student at Cayman Prep and High School, has included images in black-and-white and colour, depending on the subject and how she “sees” it. The shadings in her black-and-white photos offer a nuance and feeling distinct from those captured in colour images. 

Her photographs are “mostly just objects – in nature, animals, shoes – different aspects that would catch your eye.” 

Though she has been a photographer for several years, this is her first exhibit. 

Is she nervous? “Yes.” 

Sue, who has lived in Cayman for 20 years and had numerous exhibits, feels the same way. “You never get rid of that -it’s like being on stage – you’re always nervous; if you’re not, something’s wrong! You’re always nervous about how your work is going to be received.” 

These days, Sue says, her paintings are a mix of realism and abstract, with many pieces influenced by her visits to Cayman Brac. She likes to focus on particular aspects – doorways, windows, buildings, as well as landscapes and seascapes. 

As for Hannah, photography is just one of her many interests and talents: she is a dancer, an actor in local stage productions, a member of the Cayman Youth Choir and currently very focused on piano under the tutelage of Glen Inanga. She recently received her dive certification and wants to learn underwater photography. 

With so much yet to explore, Sue says she would love to do another exhibit with Hannah on a bigger scale. 

Meanwhile, they both have high praise for Full of Beans proprietors Jeff and Cindy Wilson. 

“They’ve created a lot of opportunity for people [offering space for exhibits] and they’ve been doing it for a long time. Full of Beans is a great venue to be in.” 

One plus one 

Oil paintings by Sue Howe and photographs by Hannah Howe at Full of Beans cafe, Pasadora Place, through Monday, 3 October.