The mural pictured here has actually been painstakingly drawn using black ballpoint pens by Ryan-David Foster. Ryan worked on the mural with his girlfriend, Leigh-Anne who drew the animals. The plan was that the mural could then evolve by adding more animals over time.
Tragically, hours after finishing the final touches to the tree , Ryan had an accident from which he never regained consciousness and he sadly passed away earlier this year.
Ryan grew up in Grahamstown, a beautiful English Settler City in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. He loved the outdoors and excelled at water sports - particularly in water polo. He loved his friends - they were an important part of his life as was his family.
He never had an art lesson in his life but studied at the Boston School of Design College in Cape Town after school. The mural was done at his uncle's house on Dainfern Estate - Fourways, Johannesburg and was started due to his enthusiasm and adventurous spirit. It has left a mark on all who have seen it - a beautiful reminder of a talented, genuine soul.
Unfortunately I never got to meet Ryan, my wife learned about him from his mother who is a colleague of my wife's. She sadly had to make the journey from the UK to South Africa earlier this year when she received the tragic news regarding her son.
As a small gesture on my part I decided to share Ryan's work with you. Using a ballpoint pen to produce a mural is something I have yet to try out but after seeing what Ryan has achieved I will certainly look to giving it a shot.
