A Bristol artist is creating a modern take on one of the parables of Jesus to display in a city centre church.
Ralph Mann, an illustrator and graphic designer based at Spike Design, Spike Island, is working on a mural of the story of the prodigal son, for Broadmead Baptist Church.
The artwork, which is over five metres wide and 1.2 metres high, features Bristol characters set against a background of well-known city landmarks.
Work began in October, after Mr Mann was approached by the congregation of the church in July to make their vision reality. It is due to be finished next week. The congregation wanted something to act as a reminder to shoppers that the church has been there for 340 years to serve the community in Broadmead.
Mr Mann said: "When I was first asked to do the mural I considered physically painting it on the wall, in time-honoured tradition.
"Realising this would be very time-consuming I teamed up with a local company, C3 Imaging, and came up with the idea of having the artwork printed digitally and mounted to the wall surface."
To get inspiration for his characters, Mr Mann spent time in Cabot Circus and Broadmead, making drawings of shoppers and people going about their daily business.
Church member Glyn Duggan has already seen the full black and white proof of the mural and said: "It was quite a thrill to see the proof pinned up and in place and I think it made us feel that we are on the brink of something rather special."
The mural will also have interactive elements, which will be linked to a website to provide background to the art. The story of the prodigal son tells of a young man who took his inheritance and left his family home to seek fame and fortune. When he fell on hard times he lost all his friends, but realised he still had a father who loved him, and returned home to a warm welcome.
For more information on the project, see www.broadmeadbaptist mural.info or visit http://www.rmvisualcommunication.co.uk/
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