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FAA hosts 'Faces on the Streets of San Diego' art exhibit

On June 26, the Fallbrook Art Association hosted the 'Faces on the Streets of San Diego' art exhibit along with a meet and greet with the artist, Kyle Denning. This exhibit features 27 portraits of homeless people Denning met as he walked along the streets of San Diego.

The meet and greet portion of this event allowed the attendees to ask Denning questions about his experiences painting each portrait and getting to know the subjects of his paintings.

Denning has enjoyed painting and other art mediums since he was in high school, and during his first semester of college he studied art. Then, he decided to take a different path and changed his art major to accounting. He pushed aside his passion for art until 2001 when he was gifted with an oil painting set which inspired him to begin painting again.

He began painting a few times a year, and when he retired in 2015, he finally had more time to work on his art. He became involved in the FAA and other art organizations before moving from Fallbrook to St. George, Utah. However, he has a condo in San Diego County which allows him to visit Fallbrook often. After showing his exhibit in St. George, he came back to Fallbrook to share his work at the FAA's The Gallery.

Denning began his 'Faces on the Streets of San Diego' paintings in January 2020, and he spent the year meeting people in San Diego, photographing them, and painting their portraits.

"I'm always walking the streets and talking to people," said Denning. "When you paint homeless people, they don't usually pose or smile. In these people you see a lifetime of difficulty in their faces."

Denning spent many hours getting to know the people in his portraits, listening to their stories, and taking the time to paint the many details around them.

"My objective was to capture the essence of their humanity, irrespective of living conditions," he said. "I wanted to show the experience of a life in these paintings."

FAA member Carol Reardon said that the entire exhibit was impactful and covered an important topic.

"We all know that homeless people are around, but it's different when you see their faces painted on a canvas," said Reardon. "The exhibit was very moving, and it reminds us that things need to be done to help these people."

The 'Faces on the Streets of San Diego' art exhibit will be shown at The Gallery until July 19, 127 N. Main Ave. Suite B. For more information, call the gallery at 760-645-0491.

 

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