Sketchbook: Painting of a Robin Redbreast

I used to love seeing the fat little robin redbreasts in England. When I was growing up it was considered good luck to see a Robin at the first of the season.
Do you know HOW they got such bright red chests?
According to an Old English folk tale "when Jesus was dying on the cross, the Robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in pain. The blood from his wounds stained the Robin's breast, and thereafter all Robins got the mark of Christ's blood upon them." source wikipedia

More Trivia

You can see some wonderful photographs of the Robin, which is the British National Bird, on the bbc website-Science & Nature.

Jafabrit Visits

Casey- Check out "winter" and the lush colours
Laketrees is a new one-love her black and white portrait paintings
Cynthia-confronting Change
Bad Kitty- the name alone is cool :)-is facing the challenge of landscapes (I sympathize)
Failed Painter- whose dragon tale coils around the tongue delightfully
Lincoln's Bird Blog in which he, coincidentally, has a current entry about the American Robin.