User talk:Kevinryall

Kevin John Ryall was born in Essex, England, at the end of the second world war. His parents brought him to Australia as a young child and the family initially lived in Melbourne. >From an early age, Kevin showed an interest in the world around him and was only six years old when he produced his first pastel drawing of seagulls on Phillip Island. The box of pastels and small artist's easel were a birthday present from his grandmother in England. The pastel sketch was sold at a school fair and its new owner gave it pride of place in her lounge room overlooking the bay.

Kevin and his family travelled extensively throughout Australia and at every place they stopped, the young Kevin insisted on staying until he had completed a a pastel rendition of a scene that had taken his interest. His mother, Eleanor, says that at first she didn't take much notice of Kevin's artwork, and just praised him like any mother would encourage a child who presented her with a drawing.

It was not until his teenage years that his family fully realised the extent of his artistic talent. Eleanor had saved almost every one of Kevin's drawings and in 1963 she and Kevin's father Bill were asked by one of Kevin's teachers if they would be interested in running an exhibition for him in the school hall. The showing was an outstanding success and many of Kevin's works were sold and still grace many homes in Sydney's western suburbs.

Kevin always named his own work and his childhood collection reflects his extensive travel as a child. He has drawings with delightfully childish titles of "Squabbling Seagulls on Phillip Island", "Bad-tempered back and white Bull", "Scary Ayrs Rock on my birthday", "Snowy River in Winter" and "Wallabies fighting".

Go to gallery of Kevin's work.