Tag Archives: dodo

New Work

“Invasive Species” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 20″w x 10″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2018
Detail of “Invasive Species” by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 20″w x 10″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2018

The latest painting in my In Our Veins series is now online.  The title is Invasive Species and it is an acrylic on canvas, 20” wide by 10” high.  There is no shortage of fast food establishments: they are everywhere, all over the world, sometimes multiples on the same block.  While these businesses are taking over natural habitat, there are an inordinate number of species going extinct or listed as endangered everyday.  The dodo bird is the unfortunate mascot of extinction, which is why I chose him to be the subject of this painting.  There are more McDonald’s in the world than there are endangered species.  The fact that dodos were literally eaten to extinction by Dutch explorers adds another layer of symbolism.  While we have an overabundance of fast food places, many species such as the right whale and polar bear are dying off due to a lack of food.  This painting serves as not only a reminder of the plight of the dodo but also for the prioritization of endangered species and natural habitat.  You can view the painting online here: https://amyguidry.com/invasive-species.html.


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In Progress

Dodo painting in progress by Amy Guidry (detail); Acrylic on canvas; 20″w x 10″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2018

Making some progress on my current painting.  I’m working on the details of the dodo bird’s face and feathers at the moment.  There’s still a little work left to do on the background, but I just had to work on the dodo.  I took some artistic license on the details.  For example, adding folds of skin around the eyes and wrinkles.  All the old illustrations and even the model recreations give him a completely smooth face, but after looking at tons of various bird photos, I decided against that and made my own interpretation.  This is just a close-up photo- the entire painting is 20″ wide by 10″ high, and is an acrylic on canvas.  More details soon.  You can view the rest of this series here: https://amyguidry.com/gallery.html.


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Progress Update

Dodo painting in progress by Amy Guidry; Acrylic on canvas; 20″w x 10″h; (c) Amy Guidry 2018

Another close-up of my dodo painting in progress.  This is just the initial rough layer of paint for now.  I’ve actually been working on the background, but I won’t reveal too much just yet.  So for now, it’s just a little sneak peek.  The entire painting is 20″ wide by 10″ high and is an acrylic on canvas.  I’ll share more updates soon, in the meantime, you can check out the rest of this series here: http://amyguidry.com/gallery.html.


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In Progress

Dodo bird sketch by Amy Guidry; (c) Amy Guidry 2018

Close-up of the initial sketch for my upcoming painting featuring a dodo bird.  The dodo became extinct around roughly 1662, and since there were no cameras then, I’ve been researching the internet to find out as much as I can via eyewitness descriptions and illustrations from that time period (assuming they’d be fairly accurate but maybe they took artistic liberties as I will be doing).  I’ve also been comparing a lot of existing birds as well, ranging from parrots to vultures, and everything in-between.  I should mention that I was partly inspired to paint the dodo after reading “The Song of the Dodo” by David Quammen.  I highly recommend everyone read it.


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Up for the Challenge

Doing a lot of research right now as I plan to include a dodo in a future painting. To clarify, this piece is by Roelant Savery and since it was painted in 1626, roughly 40 years before dodos were extinct, I think it should be fairly accurate. There are so many variations in the colors, the shape and size of the feathers, and even in the size of the dodo, and since there are no photographs, I’m combing over old illustrations that range from representational to cartoonish, photos of dried up remains, as well as images of parrots, pigeons, vultures, and chickens. It’s a bit of a daunting project, even though I normally paint realistic images of what isn’t real, I’ve at least seen these things in person to some extent. The challenge is not only to paint something I’ve never seen, but to bring it to life. I’m anxious and looking forward to the challenge at the same time.

Dodo painted by Roelant Savery in 1626

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