Cottage Blessings: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Working in the learning room this morning, I found myself drawn to the window, impulsively flinging it open, and exclaiming, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate!" Needless to say, we were all outside in about two minutes, marveling at the beauty and warmth of a late November day.

Last week, I wrote a post declaring: "From now on, the last day of the week will be known as Fine Arts Friday around here."

Believe it or not, in saying that, I actually had not intended to post about the arts each Friday. [Experience has taught me that the posts I am least likely to write are the ones I promise publicly. Case in point: Have you seen any spoons saints carnivals lately?] Although it was worded ambiguously, I meant that we would call the end of the week "Fine Arts Friday" here at our house.

Still, your encouraging comments on "Fine Arts Friday" helped me see that a series of posts on the subject would be an enjoyable project. Whenever possible, I will try to post something about the arts on Fridays, with the fervent hope that you dear ones will share your own "Fine Arts Friday" posts now and then. It would be an honor to link to you here and learn from your sense of beauty for the eye, ear, heart and mind.
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Here is our "Fine Arts Friday" exhibit, for November 17, 2006, the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary--ten watercolors depicting the characters from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," lovingly wrought by my nine-year-old daughter, Margaret.

As readers of Cottage Blessings may already know, the children and their friends will be performing this Shakespearian romp sometime in the Spring. Margaret, ideally cast as the happy-go-lucky, Puck, filled an entire spiral watercolor paper book inventing costume designs, adding her favorite lines from each character for the pure joy of it!

Titania (Agnes):

Cobweb (Marie):

Hermia (Theresa):

Egeus:

Oberon:

Helena:

Hippolyta:

Nick Bottom:

Puck (Margaret):

A row over the changeling boy (work in progress):

Many of these paintings were created in our newly-converted garage-turned-art-studio, but that too remains a work in progress:

Thank you for this opportunity to thumb through the pages of Margaret's book together! Oh, and please look for the spoon saints round-up this weekend!