Critically Endangered
There are not enough critically endangered or extinct animals with pink in their name for me to do a whole week. So, this bit will be a short week ending the colours. I am going to do my 3 favourite colours, today is pink, tomorrow orange, and then purple.
These are on the "top 25 most wanted" lost species list by the Global Wildlife Conservation. The last one was seen in 1949. The IUCN still lists them as critically endangered but they are probably extinct. There have been unconfirmed sightings as late as 2006. They used to be in Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar, but if there are any left it is thought they may be in Myanmar. Myanmar does not have the levels of environmental problems and habitat loss as Bangladesh and India do in the duck's range.
I feel a weird mix of sadness and also triumph when I paint an animal when the only examples I can find to look at are dead and taxidermied. An animal that is stuffed never really looks right. They seem sad and stiff. For me, painting strictly from dead examples, and trying to give them a semblance of life feels as if I am thumbing my nose at extinction. I know, it doesn't actually bring them back, but hopefully can give them some vibrancy of sorts in the minds of those who see the paintings.