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Project 365 ~ #80

#80 of 365 Daily Drawings

 

Inspiration: 12 Days of Christmas

 

Result: 4 Colly birds

 

Materials: Pentel 0.3 HB, Micron 005 & 02 pens, in a Moleskine plain journal

 

Location: At home

 

Note: In the song The 12 Days of Christmas the verse many sing as '4 calling birds' is actually traditionally 'colly birds' as blackbirds are often called in the U.K. Coal mines were referred to as colliery and colly was a term used to describe something as black as coal. Why give 4 black birds as a gift? In medieval times small birds were often considered food sfuff, hence when illustrated you commonly see the quartet depicted IN a pie.

 

I thought the best way to approach this drawing was to have four colly birds kicking up a fuss about recipes, such at those from the 1597 edition of Thomas Dawson's *The good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin* which explained the best way to prepare byrds of their kind for supper.

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Uploaded on December 12, 2012
Taken on December 12, 2012