Houston, Texas-based artist Alex Roman Jr., who goes by the name donkeeboy on Instagram, and his mother, Sylvia Roman (donkeeymom), have become regular visitors to San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, over the years. They have beautified the town with their talent, painting several murals in and around downtown San Pedro. In mid-November, Roman returned to La Isla Bonita on a special mission—to propose to his girlfriend. After creating another stunning mural on Barrier Reef Drive, he surprised his future wife with a unique and artistic marriage proposal.
The mural features a red heart against a white background. Inside the heart, in black letters, are the words “Will You Marry Me?” Roman mentioned that he created the mural during his visit to the island from November 12 to 16. He completed it just before Tropical Sara approached the country. Roman told The Sun that his love story began on the island. “This is where it all began for us, and we both have a very special connection to the island,” he said. “This trip was specifically to propose to my girlfriend. I wanted to paint a ‘Will You Marry Me?’ mural to propose to her with, but also to leave it on the island for others to hopefully use.”
On the day of the reveal, Roman, along with his mother Sylvia, family members, and friends, drove his girlfriend to Barrier Reef Drive. He told her that he had been working on a special mural idea for years. After asking her to close her eyes, he gently held her hands and led her to the mural. When he told her to open her eyes, she was momentarily taken aback. At that moment, he dropped to one knee and proposed to her. Overjoyed, his girlfriend excitedly accepted the ring and said, “Yes!” Now, their journey toward the wedding day, expected to take place sometime in 2025, has begun.
In November 2021, Roman and his mother began painting murals in San Pedro after being invited by their friends, island philanthropists, and entrepreneurs Kelly McDermott Kanabar and Mukul Kanabar. They created two murals: one honoring the late Tejano music star Selena and another portraying American rapper and actor Tupac (2Pac) in a Picasso style. The following year, they returned to the island with fellow artists Elizabeth Umanzor and Franky Cardona, and together they painted four additional murals. These included tributes to Belize’s Cultural Ambassador, the late Andy Palacio, the national bird of Belize, the Keel-Billed Toucan, Jamaican Reggae legend Bob Marley, and an interactive mural featuring a golf cart and a caricature of a donkey.
In 2023, they traveled back with artists Cardona and Floyd Mendoza III, adding three new murals. His mother, Sylvia, painted Ixchel, the Maya goddess of the moon, love, gestation, medicine, and the textile arts. Roman painted the word “Sueños,” which means “dreams” in English. This mural also featured the face of a donkey wearing a cap with a sleepy but determined expression. The third mural, created by Cardona and Mendoza III, depicted one of Belize’s most popular animals: the jaguar.
The artist duo and their family and friends plan to continue visiting San Pedro and Belize to share their love and talent with the Belizean community. To see more of their work, follow them on Instagram: Alex can be found at @Donkeeboy, and his mother Sylvia at @Donkeemom. You can also visit their website at https://store.donkeeboy.com/.
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