Nestled at the foot of the Tramuntana Mountains, this charming hamlet has been a haven for creatives for decades, and offers the visitor a real flavour of Mallorca’s prolific artistic output.
Deià is also home to luxury hotel La Residencia, which perhaps unsurprisingly is something of an artistic stronghold.
La Residencia has a long association with art that stems from the founder’s patronage of George Sheridan, the fruits of which are the more than 750 canvases that grace the hotel walls.
Sheridan’s legacy also includes the hotel’s in-house gallery and the roster of temporary exhibitions that La Residencia regularly hosts.
Inspired by this cultural inheritance and the artistic endeavours on display in Deià, the hotel has established an Artist-in-Residence programme that includes exhibitions and masterclasses for the benefit of its guests.
The current artist in residence, Alan Hydes is a prominent British artist whose own work has been influenced by living and working in Mallorca.
Hydes reflects that his initial attraction to Mallorca was the thought of its light. Originally from Yorkshire in England, he initially intended to work on the island in winter when the light was bad at home.
While Deià is now his second home, the vibrancy of Mallorca’s colours and the intensity of its natural light still provide a source of inspiration.
The influence can be seen in his work, which has moved away from watercolours towards stronger Mediterranean hues and paintings that are strongly reminiscent of a Balearic holiday.
As the first artist in residence at the hotel, Hydes is keen to share his passion for painting and Mallorca, and his art classes present a superb opportunity to engage your artistic side.
So what can you expect from a painting masterclass during your stay? While it all depends on what the individual wants to achieve, Hydes has a firm mission in mind in terms of teaching and provides an unpressured environment to aid your exploration of your creative soul.
In his view, a painting class shouldn’t be entertainment, but rather an opportunity to learn something useful, and all levels of ability and experience will find a warm welcome in his studios.
His focus on teaching elements of technique means that during your masterclass, you can develop a foundation to build on when the holiday is over, as well as absorbing the inspiration to keep going at home.
Whether you have always dreamed of an art retreat, or would just like to take advantage of the inspiring surroundings, it’s certain you will leave filled with a sense of achievement and glad that you did something different on your holiday.
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