Our Featured Artists
Our featured artists for the month of October are Basil Provenzale and Deborah Hammerle. Both artists are Cleveland area natives and started painting later in life.
Basil started painting at the age of 40 and continues to paint at the age of 90. Half the time Basil would have a subject in mind although, he discovered if he “began to just paint without an idea, unique results began to appear.” Basil feels sometimes the urge “just to paint” is simply overwhelming. He says, “whether child-like or Van Gogh-like, at least once try to paint for yourself on a canvas.” Basil urges kids, “buy your parents a paint set!”
Deborah never saw herself as an artistically creative individual until much later in life. In August 2021, Basil brought some paint and canvas to their house, set up a studio and began to paint. After finishing two works he handed Deborah the paint brush and told her it was her turn. That was the beginning and Deborah says, “that brush in my hand was saying there’s no going back to what was—there was only the way forward.”
Please take a few moments and visit the Westlake Porter Public Library Art Gallery.
