Michelle Dunaway
Featured in 2003
Falconer with a Pearl Earring, oil, 20 x 16.
Portrait of Richard Schmid, oil, 40 x 27.
Michelle Dunaway has always loved painting people. In fact, she is best known for her intimate portraits that capture the essence of her subjects far beyond an exact, photo-realistic likeness. Some readers may be surprised to learn that recently Dunaway has branched out in a new direction. These days she ventures to South Africa and Kenya on safaris where she sketches wildlife and gathers reference material for future paintings. In October, the artist will display several of these new works for the first time in an exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York City, including a painting depicting two lionesses in the wild. “I am constantly challenging myself to express new ideas and even paint varying subject matter,” the New Mexico-based artist says.
Dunaway was 30 years old in 2003 when she appeared in the “21 Under 31” article. At the time, she was drawing and painting head studies, merely touching on what she hoped to express in her work someday.
“I was thankful to be featured at such an early stage in my career only having shown at galleries for a short time,” she says. “Suddenly, my work was known on a national level, and I was invited into shows and other events outside of my immediate vicinity.”
Dunaway clearly has realized her artistic goals and dreams as a young artist. Today, she is a multiyear award winner and finalist in the Portrait Society of America’s annual International Portrait Competition. Dunaway likes to say the event is “The Academy Awards of portrait painting in the USA.” But there is more good news to share: Recently the artist also was invited to exhibit one of her portraits at the home of the Dutch Masters, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. She says, “My painting of an artist friend, John Smith, was on display near the Rembrandts. I was one of 20+ artists in the exhibit each representing a different country. I represented North America, which was such a huge honor.”
contact information
dunawayfineart.com
representation
Insight Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX, insightgallery.com.
Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ, legacygallery.com.
Sage Creek Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, sagecreekgallery.com.
Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery, vanessarothefineart.com.
Included in “Catching Up: Conversations with Five Past ’21 Under 31′ Artists” by Bonnie Gangelhoff, from the August/September 2024 issue.