Majorca Island in the Sun focuses on the paradise Spanish holiday island of Majorca in the warm Mediterranean blue azure sea explored in words and artwork pictures by Norfolk watercolour artist Alan R. Massen. We have holidayed on the island in the past and it really is a journey into the sunshine. Majorca, the largest island in the Balearics and it may make you think of beach resorts and holidays, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy both its coastline and the interior. It is a good idea, particularly in autumn and winter when the crowds have gone and the temperature is more suitable for outdoor activities. Susie and I have holidayed on Majorca in the past. During our summer two week holiday to the sunshine island of Majorca we have stayed in such resorts as Porto Colom, Magaluf, Porto de Pollenca, S'illot and Sa Coma and always had a great time. The beaches are lovely, the sea clear, blue and warm. This really is a beautiful island packed with things to do and places to go or you can just soak up the sun and enjoy a good book, swim or a long cold drink. One thing you must do is spend some time in the capitol Palma de Majorca and take the train to Soller to sample the oranges and visit as many of the lovely resorts that are all the way around the island...
Alan was born in the city of Norwich in the county of Norfolk, England in November 1949. When Alan was still a teenager he started painting whilst attending art classes in Norwich. In his mid-teens he had two paintings accepted for a National Art Exhibition held in London and other major UK cities. Alan spent most of his working life as a professional Health and Safety Advisor and rarely picked up a paint brush until he, his wife Susie and daughter Ginny (his other daughter Mandy is married and lives with her husband Adrian in Sheffield) moved out of the city of Norwich into the countryside in 1993. They moved to a little village called East Lexham in the heart of Norfolk. The village was very peaceful and pretty. This helped inspire Alan to take up watercolour painting once again. In 2004 they moved to another small West Norfolk village near Downham Market where they still live today. In 2008 Alan had to retire due to ill health (bad knees) and whilst he still painted regularly he began to spend more and more time gardening. In 2013 his wife Susie suggested that he kept a gardening diary to record his adventures in the garden and capture the changing seasons, animals, birds and the successes and failures of being a gardener he encountered. By the following year Susie suggested that he should write a book from his diary and include illustrations of both the garden and his artwork. In 2014 Alan's first book was published by Creative Gateway called "Retiring to the Garden - Year One". This proved such a success that Alan decided to follow this up with his second book called "Retiring into a Rainbow" featuring his watercolour paintings. He then in 2015 published "Retiring to Our Garden - Year Two" published this time by Rainbow Publications UK. He then re-issued his first two books this time in a "Second Edition". Also published by Rainbow Publications UK. His next publications were: "Skiathos a Greek Island Paradise" and "Norfolk the County of my Birth" and "Art Inspired by a Rainbow". He has recently completed four new books which are entitled: "Ibiza Island of Dreams", "Flip-flops and Shades on Thassos", "Majorca Island in the Sun", and finally "Mardle and a Troshin' in Norfolk" and these will be published by Rainbow Publications UK in the near future.
