WHAT'S UP!


By Elena Buckley SDUN Reporter


D


anny Griego wanders around Uptown, explor- ing, then finding, the hidden beauty in the areas deemed old or forgotten. He paints the


alleyways you were too scared to walk down, the long abandoned buildings of yesteryear and the bustling street corners San Diegans drive by day-in and day- out. With a stroke of his brush, Griego brings out the liveliness deep within these everyday structures and scenes and provides locals with art that represents the beauty of everyday life in San Diego. “Things that I’m most fascinated with currently are just places that people walk by every day and don’t give a second look to,” Griego said. “Cool signs also attract my eye, old vintage signs that look dated, tired and old. I like to put those in my paintings.” Originally from Greeley, Colo., Griego, now a


Hillcrest resident, came to San Diego 17 years ago to work for The Old Globe Theatre as a scenic artist. After spending 10 years working with designers and directors to paint and create scenery, Griego decided make a career out of doing fine art instead. “I don’t know, it fires me up to see something


San Diego Uptown News | December 10–23, 2010


21


Exploring San Diego’s hidden urban landscapes Local artist Danny Griego paints what he knows best—Uptown


as well as commissioned work for clients looking for specific portraits or scenes. He also teaches art classes part-time at University of California, San Diego. Collections of his paintings depicting these cityscapes were recently on display in Hillcrest at Bread & Cie, located at 350 University Ave. It was his third show there. The collection was distinct because the paintings were small scale, showing only a sign, or an isolated piece of wall with just a few inanimate subjects in the foreground. Each detail served as a small glimpse into localized areas of the city. One of the most recognizable paintings in his


current collection is that of the abandoned, and much talked about, Pernicano’s Family Restaurant on Sixth Avenue in Hillcrest. Griego laughed as he mused about the interesting and strange situations going to these places has put him in, especially when discov- ering the Palm Reader sign in Chula Vista. It’s the subject of one of his more recent paintings.


“Things that I’m most fascinated with currently are just places that people walk by every day and don’t give a second look to,” Griego said. “Cool signs also attract my eye … Old vintage signs that look dated, tired and old. I like to put those in my paintings.”


visually, like an alleyway or building, and put that on a board or canvas; put your own vision to it, your own twist, and when it comes out the way you want it to—it feels good. It’s a passion,” Griego said. “Plus, it keeps me out of trouble. I just love it. It’s my first love, really.”


Griego primarily uses oil paints due to their forgiv- (Photos courtesy of Danny Griego)


ing nature. He said that this particular medium doesn’t dry very fast so you can just scrape off mistakes and start over fresh. In addition to his oil paintings, Griego also does murals, interior painting and design work


“When I drive south on the Inter- state-5, I always see that sign,” Griego said. “One day I pulled off, had my camera with me and I just photographed it from all these different angles. The woman who owned it got


upset. She came out asking, ‘What are you doing here? You’re not one of those reporters again, are you?’” Griego paused, “I don’t know what she meant by that. I said ‘No, no, no I’m an artist; I really like your building. I’m just going to paint it.’ She went back inside but you could see her peeking outside her window.” It was obvious how much joy he gets from tracking down his subjects, and discovering hidden treasures. He also recalled a story about a man who lives near the Scripps hospital on Washington Street. The resi- dent had a beautiful 1965 boat parked in his driveway that caught Griego’s eye one day.


see Griego, page 23


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