In a tiny studio off a road in Newlands, when most are asleep at night, Jane Webster works magic turning nature’s things and what would normally go to trash into works of art.
On a table in her art sanctuary sits a model of the cruise ship Carnival Valor constructed from Styrofoam and white beach sand. Nearby Miss Lassie sits on her house steps with painted shutters gazing down on two school children exciting the old one-room Savannah Primary school, all are replicas.
And there is more. A quaint Cayman style home with white sand garden catches the eye. “It’s OK to pick it up,” she said as I gently lifted a tiny chair made from wooden clothes pins, which was part of a dining room set complete with vase on top. Just about every animal Noah was told to put in the Ark by God, white dove and all, sits in the boat or climbing up the rocky base.
So much to see, a three-tiered lighthouse, sea shell napkin holders, catboats, sailboats and cruise boats, decorated light shades, pen holders, match stick picture frames and patch work quilts. Her latest creation, a replica of the old Savannah school house will be on display at the Cayman Islands Agriculture Show.
Finding herself alone at 75 after the children had left home, Ms Webster needed something that would give her pleasure and occupy her time.
“I prayed and asked the Lord to help me find something that would occupy my time at night. Then all of these ideas just kept popping up in my head,” she said. Her passion is huge and she doesn’t hesitate to say that finding her talent late in life has made a world of difference.
Drawing her ideas for the objects, Ms Webster explains how she likes to travel, how she dislikes seeing things go to waste and capturing Cayman heritage through replicas of her work is dear to her heart.
Anything can become art in Jane Webster’s world. Egg shells, the rind of a grapefruit, coconuts, clothes pegs, cardboard, beach sand, match sticks, toothpicks, seashells and que-tips, cloth scraps and even light bulbs. The whimsical eye-catching pieces she then uses to brighten up her walls, shelves and floors.
There is such a personal touch to each piece and one can see why. Ms Webster feels so much connection to each design that she finds it hard to either sell, give or lend a piece. “Every night I turn on the light just to stand and look at my art, it makes me feel so happy of what I have accomplished. It will all be left to my 14 grand- and four great grandchildren when I am gone,” she said
She says her favourite creations include the cruise ship and a group of school children doing homework made from sea shells. “It is kind of difficult to remember the first piece I constructed because most were destroyed during Hurricane Ivan,” she said, explaining how sometimes a piece can give problems such as the smoke stack on the cruise ship.
An avid supporter of Art@Governors she has collected T-shirts of each event since 2006 and proudly displays them on her wall.
Ms Webster grew up in the tiny community of Savannah Newlands, Bodden Town along with twin brother James. Unfortunately her mother died when she was 10 so she became very close with her brother visiting each other from time to time to talk and share ideas.
Growing up she was a happy child attending the one-room Savannah Primary School with other children. Everyone was happy and obedient to teachers Theoline McCoy, Ormon Bodden and Corrine Wood.
There were no buses to take them to school in those day. She said few had shoes and most would attend school bare feet, “but we did not mind that,” she added. She speaks of the masses of mosquitoes and many days having to carry a fire pan to ward them off. At school the game mostly played was baseball but they also played jacks and skip rope.
Ms Webster attended school until she was 17 because there was little to do in Cayman those days; her brother like most young men left to join the ships.
In later years she married but unfortunately it did not work so she focused on raising five children for the next 44 years. She found work at Wholesome Bakery and at the George Town Post Office she held the post for 30 years without being late once or taking a sick day. “If I was privileged, I would go back to the Post Office and work right now if only as a volunteer. I loved that job so much.”
Related Videos
