The brush in my hand is sure as it makes a thin blue vertical ribbon on the right of the canvas. A river. A dip of the brush into zinc white, for a hint of water trapped in the ice, creates a larger swathe of frozen badland beside the river. Beside that, a brick-red frontage holding back chaos. And a horizontal blanket of cerulean wraps the whole.
What am I saying? That the universe resolves to a spectrum of neat bands? Will they understand? Does it matter? Yes, I’d like just one person to hear my scream.
.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
What started as a creative exercise painting, has much more later.
He sure needs help. Hope they hear his scream…
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Thanks so much, Anita
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The anguish in this is so vivid. I sense his screams have been going unheard for some time. Beautiful writing, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Jilly
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Dear Neil,
Written like an artist. Outsiders don’t understand.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s quite a compliment. Thanks so much, Rochelle
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The cry of artists everywhere.
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Thanks, Iain
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He’s in a really bad way, poor chap. Excellent tension.
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He’s an artist. It’s normal
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Makes you wonder how long his scream has been held inside, waiting for him to express it in some manner.
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Perhaps all his life, or perhaps only since he took up the palette
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Perhaps why he took up the palette!
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Maybe the artist just needs to follow Bob Ross and paint a happy little tree?
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Perhaps, but I’m not sure that’s him
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‘trapped’, ‘badlands’, ‘chaos’ – Those words convey his anguish. Will the finished image reveal it? This story certainly does. Wonderful.
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Thanks so much, Margaret
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There’s more to art than painting pretty pictures.
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Yes, images torn from the soul
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The problem with art, not everyone can see the image or the cry for help in the paint.
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Thans, James
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this story seems to put into words what edvard munch’s painting, the scream, wanted to say.
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I did have that painting in mind
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When the next time I visit an art gallery,… will I scream, 🙂
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Only if you have The Temprament
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Inside the mind of an artist. Great last line!
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Thanks so much, Brenda
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Frozen by your last line, Neil.
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Thanks so much
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Neil, your end made me think of VanGogh. He was speaking his own language in paint that he hoped others would understand. I hope he finds his tribe.
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Thanks so much, Jade
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You’re very welcome.
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An artist’s angst, well told.
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Thanks so much. Dawn
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I like where you took the prompt and no they won’t hear it.
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Thanks so much
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