My friend Chris Ryland, who has died of lung cancer aged 71, was a skilful painter of flowers whose work reflected a faithful observation of the botanical world. He had a powerful and unique vision of nature.
Born in Eastbourne, East Sussex, Chris was the elder son of Henry Ryland, a solicitor, and Betty Larom, a writer and illustrator of children’s books. After their divorce, Betty remarried a fellow illustrator and comic artist, Neville Main. The painter Irene Ryland was Chris’s great-aunt.
