Typical.
Hours of practice on facial proportions, angles and shadows wasted.
She’d spent so long getting the nose and mouth just right on each person in the scene.
She sighed and mixed the colours. Plenty of medical light blue for most. A couple of brighter hues for the more imaginative people.
A small rectangle added to each face, two or three strokes enough to obliterate all her previous effort and detail.
Once all were festooned, she stepped back and looked at the scene.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was life.
A word added to the title: ‘Masked Gathering at the Cafe Rouge’.
Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above). Come on everyone, just wear a mask.
To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
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Iain Kelly 
96 responses to “GATHERING AT THE CAFE ROUGE”
This too shall pass, but art is timeless.
Fun story, Iain
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Thanks CE. There will be some interesting art that stems from this period of life.
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But she knows what brilliance lies beneath the paint of the masks, And perhaps, one day, an art restorer will find the faces
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A lovely thought Neil
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I love the idea of ‘masking’ imperfection 🙂
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Thanks Reena
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Dear Iain,
A painting for our times. Nicely rendered.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle
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There’s a world of nuances to be gleaned behind the masks. Topical take.
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As in life, so in art. Who knows what’s going on behind those masks.
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She imagined the real faces of the masked people and her art actually unmasked them! Cool 🙂
They can help the police.
Masked thieves are many…
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Ha, thanks Anita
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Might be easier just to take a photograph. At any rate, she is capturing a moment in time. Hope there is enough blue in the pallet.
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A photograph! You heathen! 😉
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I know and there are apps that can make a photo look like a painting!
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That gave me a good chuckle, Iain. Like they always say, no work of art is ever completed, just abandoned.
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Glad it got a chuckle 🙂
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Very apt.
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Thank tou
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You’re welcome 😉
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I used to smile at folk in shops. No point now! I used to say ‘cheese’ when photographing people. Oh well …
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Just paint a smile on the outside of your mask Keith!
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Why didn’t I think of that? Cheers Iain!
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Great take Iain.
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Thank you Di
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Funny ending to that. I’ve added beards and mustaches before.
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Ha, masks will be the new version!
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Love this. Imaging the smiles. 😬
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Nice idea that beneath the masks there are smiles:-)
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Lovely! I could see her at work.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks Susan
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Everyone will look alike. They do say, though, that eyes don’t change much with age, so that’s a good feature to leave unmasked 🙂
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Also we need to see where we’re going 🙂
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Topical and entertaining – an excellent take on the prompt!
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Thank you Penny
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A masque. Nice contemporary take on the prompt.
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Thank you Paula
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A story for our times. We’ve been hiding our imperfections behind masks of rhetoric and toothless legislation. At least that’s what I get from yours. I like it a lot.
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There are masks everywhere, literal and metaphorical. Thank you.
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So much said in this, Iain. I really like it.
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Thank you Dale, much appreciated
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🙂
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VERY inventive, Iain! Even art is impacted by C-19.
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I think it will have a big impact for a few years to come. Thank you.
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You’re welcome.
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Great take on the photo!
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Thank you so much 🙂
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i think i could sense the hidden message. well-crafted story of our times.
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Thank you
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A story for our times, for sure. There’s a certain underlying sadness in your words.
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Yep, here’s hoping the sadness will lift at some point…
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Well done, Iain. What sort of faces lurk beneath the masks at the Rouge?
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Now there’s a good source for some stories. Thanks Bill.
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I think about that when I see videos or read stories or other ways wearing masks in public is being immortalized. Also, the contrast with people who don’t wear masks. With the unprecedented way things are document, it will be an odd, confusing time to look back on.
The subtle melancholy is well painted in this story.
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Thanks, it will be a strange time to look back on. I wonder how history will view those that resisted mask wearing so much…
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I think history will view them as casualties.
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Excellent story. Love the last line.
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Thank you
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Love the “medical light blue”…you painted the scene beautifully.
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Thank you so much
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Sign of the times!
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Sure is!
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100 years from now these paintings will be masterpieces for it documents such a strange and previously unimaginable scenario. Nice one Iain!
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They certainly will capture a specific time. Thank you
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Excellent! I didn’t get it immediately, but after a couple of reads. Well done.
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Thanks Trish, glad it made sense!
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First step to perfection.. great story..😊
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Thank you 🙂
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Great topical story!
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Thank you Liz
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A pity she had to paint over the details. Maybe another day.
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One day soon hopefully
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Good stuff, topical and the correct message; wear a mask, doesn’t take much really does it?
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It’s amazing how controversial something so simple has become.
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I know, wear a f*****g mask, it’s not an issue is it
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Fabulous!
Nicely written. You captured the moment in the same way your artist does
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Thanks Laurie
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Your artist could have left them alone and just added an angry staff member and some police officers coming through the door to enforce regulations!
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Ha, indeed!
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The eyes will smile from behind the masks.
I loved how you spun around the tale. Didn’t know where this was going, till the last line.
Lovely, Iain.
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Thank you Natasha, much appreciated 🙂
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A lovely homage to a strange time. As others have said, this too shall pass. I love the descriptions and use of language.
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Thank you
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Well painted! 🙂
I hope they know the work she put into each one of them under their masks …
Na’ama
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She will know at least!
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Yep!
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Spot on, lain. I’ve always wanted to use that line. LOL
Seriously, well done. I enjoyed it. It’s very true an artist (as a career artist)
is never satisfied with their work even when it’s all done. Usually, selling
the artwork gives the satisfaction. Have a super safe weekend …
Isadora 😎
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Thank you, hope you are well and safe too 🙂
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Ingenius Iain. This will be a plus side for all those artists that can’t do mouths, much like those that can’t do feet and have everyone standing in the long grass.
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Ha, definitely an upside 🙂
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Ha! Ha! What a clever way to change the scene and keep a record for the future.
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Got to stay relevant these days!
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Your story is so relevant. I had to paint a self-portrait a few months ago. My being masked on the reference photo made my job easier.
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Ha, its the new style accessory!
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very topical and touching.
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Thank you
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