One has to wonder what goes through Alan Hydes’s mind during his daily walk from his Mallorcan home of 25 years overlooking Cala Deya to the village. His career to date has been a truly remarkable and exciting adventure; no wonder he now enjoys the peace and gentle pace of the island. Alan was the artist in residence at the Hotel La Residencia for 12 years, but after having built up such a large client base and met so many people from all over the world who wanted to commission his work, he decided it was time to take full control of his life and focus on his art.
Prior to moving to Mallorca by pure chance, his career - or rather careers - took him in numerous directions within the world of art and culture. It all began aged 16 when Alan embarked on a foundation year at Scarborough School of Art and Design. On the same course was Robert Palmer, who went on to become a famous singer and musician. Back then the two were addicted to art rather than love and were able to enjoy numerous projects together. Palmer’s music career took off and Alan went on to study fine art at Birmingham College of Art. When he graduated in 1969, with a First Class Honours degree in Fine Art with a supporting study of Art History, he told his parents he wanted to be an artist.
“My father thought it would be better that I got a ‘proper job’ like being a lawyer, something more serious with guaranteed money. But then suddenly and sadly he died and my mother told me to go out and do what I love, which was art. I had a few exhibitions in London but I was still young, wanted to explore the world. I got my hand on a Minivan and drove overland from Scarborough to India, where I studied Indian Miniature painting and created a photographic record of my eleven months travelling around India, Afghanistan and Iran and eight other countries.
I was broke...
“Trouble was when I got back, I was broke so I had to get serious and start making some money.
“And, as luck would have it, I bumped into one of my former tutors from the Birmingham College of Arts. He told me they were looking for a drawing tutor and asked if I was interested. I was. So I went for the interview and kind of went full circle teaching where I trained,” he told the Bulletin this week.
“Before I knew it a producer from BBC Pebble Mill turned up looking for someone to present a regional arts TV show covering everything from art to music and I ended up with the job. It ran for ten weeks and I was rubbish, I was so nervous in front of the camera. But for the final show I had to interview Sophia Loren. In the green room before recording we got on really well and that came through during the TV interview. I guess being the last show I threw caution to the wind and relaxed. The producer loved it. Why couldn’t I have done that all along? So, based on the compliment, I asked for a video copy of the show and sent it to Thames Television and ended up as an arts lecturer and TV presenter on Afternoon Plus. It was great, I had a camera crew and was covering arts and music all over the UK, I loved it.
“Then I happened to meet Mary Parkinson, Michael’s wife, and she suggested I had my own show. She loved my painting and thought it would work well on TV. I went back to Birmingham, where I ended up as a central news reporter. I was an NUJ journalist, and eventually decided that I wanted to direct, get behind the camera. So I trained at Thames TV and got my ACTT card to add to my Equity ticket,” he said.
Alan’s TV career includes presenting Painting the Stars, Painting the Past, Blooming Art and, among many, three documentaries about the great David Hockney, who happened to live in Bradford, not far from his family home. He has kept in touch with him ever since. That said, it was the late Dame Jilly Cooper and singer Adam Faith who gave Alan one of his first breaks. They had visited his studio and she commissioned a botanical painting and suggested that he consider sharing his talent on TV. That’s how painting portraits of the stars came about. Alan went on to paint Jilly Cooper as well as members of the British aristocracy, a UK Prime Minister, heads of industry, actors and rock stars, including his old friend Robert Palmer. And since moving to Deya, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber who owns a property in the village. Oh, but I have to mention that he also landed a role as the doctor in Emmerdale.
Right place at the right time
Alan, who works with mixed media and also makes silkscreen prints apart from being a highly regarded portrait artist - many of his portraits are in the British National Collection and his paintings are in international private and public collections - admits he has always been in the “right place at the right time’. And amidst all the excitement of art and TV in the UK, he stumbled across Mallorca some 25 years ago.
“I’d never been to the island. It was always the south of France. But one of my clients had a house in Pollensa and invited me over for a week and I felt like a break and a nice holiday. As luck would have it, his girlfriend worked for a leading real estate company and offered to give me a tour of the island despite the fact I had no intention of buying a property.
“So off we went from Pollensa to Soller, along that beautiful coastline with the mountains on one side and the sea the other. I was captivated and then we reached Deya and I thought the village and surroundings were just simply stunning. So much so I asked if she had any properties in the area and she did - one. It belonged to a German pop star and was a little run down, in need of some TLC. Nevertheless, I asked if I could have a look and it was gorgeous. The view over the little bay of Deya was amazing. So I made an offer which was accepted and here I am. Best move I’ve ever made.
“This part of the island, well all of Mallorca, is unbelievable. Having spent years in the damp wet British weather, the colours, the light were and are fantastic. The beauty of Deya is simply staggering and now I can combine relaxing in the sunshine with painting. I’ve seen much of this world but I’ve got to say that there is no place I’d rather live and work than here in Mallorca. It’s so unique. I’ve been offered artist in residence positions in various places including Mustique, which I gave some serious though to, but the island is too small. Mallorca gives you space to breathe and be creative,” Alan said. During his time at La Residencia he obviously met some of the most influential and famous people in the world and many, like Leonardo DiCaprio, visited his studio. But Hockey has been one of his greatest influences.
Absorbing experience
“He once told me that more than anything he simply enjoys looking, really looking at colours and textures. It’s an incredibly absorbing visual experience, it’s as interesting as painting and where better than to simply stop and look than Mallorca? Further to that, I’m constantly pushing myself. I love to be working a little out of my comfort zone when my feet don’t quite touch the floor because there is always room to be more creative, experiment and move forward as an artist. If you don’t, you end up turning out the same paintings over and over again. Some artists are quite comfortable with that, especially if it works and earns them a living, but not for me. In the surroundings I have, there is so much to work with and it can be from photographs. Still images can be very inspiring and I enjoy translating those photos into art,” said Alan , who will be holding an exhibition at La Residencia in April.