Marietta Artist Shares Love Of Animals

Claire Dunaway had a gift for art as a child that no one really noticed--except for her grandmother.

"When I was in fifth grade, my grandmother told my parents to get extra training for me in the area of art," said Dunaway, who now teaches elementary art at Ford Elementary School in Acworth.

Dunaway, 31, and a 2002 graduate of Presbyterian College, now has her own art business featuring acrylic paintings of dogs and other animals, including horses, rabbits and other critters loved by families.

"I love hearing about their personalities," said Dunaway, adding about half of her paintings are commissions of dogs who have passed away. Her favorites include a "family grouping" of dogs taken from four separate photos and meshed into one painting, she said.

Dunaway, who is the daughter of , is married to Jason Cyr and they reside in the historic area just off the Marietta Square. The couple was married in October and love living in the area in which she grew up. Cyr specializes in web design and IT consulting.

The 1998 graduate also paints cars and has had a solo art show for the past three years at the historic Strand Theatre on the Marietta Square. She was also involved in the "Spotlight on Art" event this year at The Trinity School in Atlanta.

Recently, Dunaway has also added jewelry to her business, making earrings from art canvases that didn't make it through her process. The hip jewelry is colorful and sturdy, with a sealant placed over it for protection and durability, she said.

What's her goal for the growing art business?  "To be able to paint more and maybe teach part-time," said Dunaway, adding she tries to encourage her fifth graders to pursue art if that is their passion. "But I always tell them to have a back-up plan."

For more information on Dunaway's art business, visit www.clairedunaway.com.