Artist finds painting is rewarding pastime
Louis Palermo also acts and directs for local theater groups
BY PATRICIA YOCZIS
Correspondent

ERIC SUCAR staff Louis Palermo sits among his sketches and finished artwork in his Freehold Township studio. Palermo's oil paintings have been exhibited at Brookdale Community College and are found in homes throughout the United States, Canada and Italy.

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - Louis Palermo is a man of many talents. Art, acting and business are all incorporated in the way he lives his life.

"Ever since I was child, a pencil and paper were in my hands," said Palermo, who was born in the town of Lago in the Calabria region of Italy. "I would see something I liked and I would draw it."

Today, Palermo's oil paintings have been exhibited at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, and are found in homes throughout the United States, Canada and Italy.

Palermo accepts very little commissioned work in subjects that range from landscapes, seascapes and still life to portraits and religious subjects.

"For me, painting is very relaxing," he said. "Commissioned work requires a deadline and becomes stressful. Usually people see my work and I either give it to them or charge very little. Painting is a pleasure and something I do on my own time and schedule."

According to Palermo, he is the only one in his family of two brothers and four sisters, Wanda, Lola, Pina and Vivian (now deceased) who has taken up a paint brush.

"My father, Florindo, was a band leader in Italy and played the trumpet," he said. "My brothers, Frank and Anthony, played trumpet and tuba. I had a pencil and paper."

Palermo credits his sister-law, Iolanda, for introducing him to oil painting.

"Iolanda was looking for a painting of a deer," he said. "I found an oil paint-by-the-numbers kit and did it for her. It came out OK. I liked oil paint and thought I can do this myself."

Oil painting is Palermo's only media. A United States citizen, he studied and copied the paintings of the masters, such as Caravaggio, da Vinci and El Greco, in a studio in Brooklyn, N.Y., which was his place of residence before coming to Freehold Township.

"I studied for about six months and then wanted to do something original and not copy the work of others," he said. "Now if I need help with shading or color, I can find instruction tapes and teach myself what I need."

Palermo did need help with a special oil painting and he called on artist Eileen Kennedy Dyne. The painting, "The Madonna delle Grazie," was painted in memory of his mother, Angela, who died in 1995. The work, 36 inches by 42 inches, took a year to complete and now hangs in the Church of the Madonna delle Grazie in Lago, Italy.

"It was a special painting and I wanted it to be the best it could be," the artist said.

Palermo is now working on another special untitled painting. He has taken photos of his hometown in Italy, focusing on the three churches of St. Nicholas, the Annunciation and the Madonna of the Graces. He has sketched them and plans to incorporate an image of Padre Pio, an Italian saint who was a 19th-century Cappuchian priest and mystic, blessing the town.

"Padre Pio is a favorite saint of mine and he is a contemporary one," Palermo said. "I am dedicating this painting for the continued health of my family and will bring it to be placed in one of the churches of Lago. I hope everyone who sees it will feel peace."

Palermo's acting career began at the age of 4 in Lago almost simultaneously with his art.

"The parish priest, Don Federico Faraco, always had little skits and plays for Mother's Day and other occasions for the children," he said. "There was even a children's summer theater program."

Now, Palermo is a member of the board for two community theater groups, the Center Players and the South Street Players. He has been an actor and director for both groups, and he has handled numerous production duties.

Last year he was a director or actor in "The Mousetrap," "Steel Magnolias," "Funny Money" and "On Golden Pond." His signature role, he said, is Mr. Velasco in "Barefoot in the Park."

"I identify with Velasco," said Palermo. "He's full of life, enjoys everything he gets into and is a happy man."

While he has no preference between acting or directing, painting wins over acting.

"I really enjoy painting, seeing beauty in the things around me and hoping that people get pleasure from my art," he said. "I try to incorporate art in all phases of my life."

His paintings have been used as props in plays that he has directed or in which he has been an actor. Even his art studio on the top floor of his business, International Flair beauty salon, Schanck Road, Freehold Township, has been used for play rehearsals and meetings. It is also his own gallery.

"Some of my paintings are displayed throughout the beauty shop," said Palermo, who opened International Flair in 1982 and has a staff of five who work with him. "People see the paintings and ask about them."

In his spare time, Palermo maintains his membership with the Guys and Dolls bowling team at Howell Lanes.

"I'm the only remaining original member of this bowling team that was established in 1977," he said. "Friday nights, during the season, you'll find me there."

When asked how he finds time for all his activities, Palermo said, "I do most of my painting at night and the shows are at night, too. Plus, I really don't need that much sleep and get along with four or five hours a night."

As far as the future is concerned, he has plans for a retirement that is years away.

"As long as God gives me the eyes and hands, I'll keep on painting and hope that my paintings give pleasure to others," said Palermo. "When I start to work less at the shop, I hope to form a painting club where people can paint and critique each other's work. That what I'd like to do when I retire."

Palermo and his wife, Gina, reside in Freehold. Their daughter, Maria, and son-in-law, Michael McDede, and Palermo's mother-in-law, Teresa Scanga, live with them.