Roadside stops at alluring views often lead to interesting observations and potentially creative ideas.
Each week Rochelle Wisoff-Fields posts a pic to write a 100 word story about.
This week it’s artistic fiction (truly fictional – only the names are factual. I have taken total artistic license with this one).
© Marie Gail Stratford
Desolate
“Pull over, Andrew.”
The Ford V-8 Coupe’s tires slowly crunched the gravel roadside. The year was 1948.
“Look at the colors in the grass, the starkness of that old silo and that transmission tower.”
Andrew nodded. “Desolate.”
“And the barbed wire distances you, but from what? What could they be keeping you away from?”
“I visualize an arm reaching out for help.”
“But no one’s there. No one to hear you, or see you.”
“I think I’ll paint that scene when we get back to Cushing.”
Christina smiled. She loved being a part of Andrew Wyeth’s world.
Randy Mazie
Christina’s World (1948) by Andrew Wyeth
Please feel free to click on the blue links in the piece to reference Wikipedia for both Anna Christina Olson and Andrew Wyeth.
The Writer's Village 
One of my favorite painters.
Loved this!
He is one of mine, too.
Randy
I saw some of his paintings last year during a trip to the National Gallery of Art.
Wow.
I don’t think I’ve seen Andrew Wyeth Wind from the Sea (1947)before.
It’s stunning, great.
Thanks for showing it. Randy
Thanks for looking. It is gorgeous. Now I want to go back to the National Gallery of Art! lol
I hadn’t heard of him but now I want to see more.
beautiful Dawn
thanks
Ah no, thank YOU Tracey.
The picture prompt definitely did not say “artist’s muse” to me but I’m pleased it evidently did to you. Well done.
Each mind’s eye works in mysterious ways, its picture prompts to perform…
Thanks for commenting.
Randy
Ah, the poetry!
He certainly had a vivid imagination if that’s what he saw!
Desolation, a cry for help, can be depicted in many ways.
The artist’s gift – the ability to see a certain something in any scene.
yes. In fact I saw your response coming… 😉
wait. Does that make me psychic rather than artistic?
Randy
I love it. This was an intriguing trip connecting the photo to art. I love hat painting
It was one of the first images crossing my mind….
This is great, I like Wyeth, too. What an imaginative take on the prompt.
Thank you. I like imagination as much as I like Wyeth’s felt realism.
Ooh. really well done! I feel like I was whisked inside the world of a creative genius–you and Wyeth! 🙂
Aw shucks!
Fascinating dialog, and well done immersion into the world of Andrew Wyeth and Christina!
None of which is true. but thanks. Randy
Nice job,Randy! As you probably know, the largest collection of Wyeths are at the Brandywine River Museum in Brandywine Pa, not real far from here. Used to take my kids there a lot when they were young. N.C. Wyeth, Andrew, and Jamie are all there, along with the famous Helga paintings.
No, Perry, i didn’t know that. Too bad because when i lived up north I probably would’ve visited it.
Dear Randy,
I always love a bit of historical fiction. Artistic license indeed…a bit of a double entendre there. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
The double entendre wasn’t intentional. i was really out of my writing comfort zone trying to do this because I did no historical research. I cannot claim it to be historical at all . It was only a glimpse in my mind’s eye relating what I felt from Ms Stratford’s photo and what I felt from Wyeth’s painting of Christina’s World (one of my favorite paintings). Randy
Randy,
“Desolation” that is absolutely what I felt, looking at the photo prompt this week but the words just wouldn’t flow for me. Thank you for your words and the art.
Tracey
You’re welcome. Sorry to hear your words didn’t “flow”.
Randy, This has always been one of my favorite pictures, Wyeth or not. You really captured the feeling of it in your story.
Thanks.
Great flash and thank you for introducing me to Andrew Wyeth. You really captured the feeling of the painting in your flash.
Ooh. Glad that you have now learned of him. His works are just so touching and interesting and moving.
Did I mention interesting and touching and moving?
Ha.
Randy
A great take on the prompt. It sure is a desolate and lonely scene.
Yes. i think everyone felt that and conveyed it in their stories this week.
nice take on the prompt. well done.
Thank you.
Oh I love your take. Instead of making something sinister out of it, you take the time to look at it with an artist’s eye. Very nice.
Mwoo-hahah. Trapped you into thinking it wasn’t sinister.
Now, my every word will be your command….
Oh! Can”t believe I’ve fallen for that!
Good historical fiction based on the painting, Randy. Great description. Well done. Thanks for the links. 🙂 — Suzanne
You’re welcome. Hope you enjoy Wyeth as much, if not more, than I do.
Randy
This is really beautiful, Randy. What a unique take on the prompt. Such an intricate direction you’ve taken and done so well.
I don’t know about intricate, but your words are appreciated in a subtly complex, interwoven, and maybe even twisted kind of way. ;-).
Randy
Randy, that was all just very intriguing. 🙂 Ha ha.
mmmm. 😉
Wonderful take on the prompt. I like the story behind the painting. When looking at paintings I always wonder if there was some grand story behind them…I like this one, sweet, rather than sinister, as quite a few of us made our answers to this prompt to be.
Funny how prompts bring out a commonality in people.
I think it was Karl Jung who postulated a collective consciousness – which may apply herein.
You may be right!