The ghostly figure of a man with red hair..........

Very spooky Mick.

And perfectly true Adele.

Looks a bit like Lon Chaney Junior... what you might justly call a striking image.

Thanks Robert. I based it on a drawing from an art book on heads. I like all your work. My Hendey and Dove side were from Yarmouth, Shalfleet and Ningwood. The Doves were from Dorset and Wiltshire In the 1700s prior to IOW but I think the Hendeys are a real old family on the island.

I don't want to meet him at night, Michael!

Hauntingly good Mick (may I call you Mick?) I can see you have put a lot of your 'energy' in to this. Perhaps your hand was led by something beyond this time!! He has a captivating gaze. I like the way you have used the pastel in a loose and scribbly way which gives it volume.

Thanks Cesare and Fiona. I'll be very pleased if you call me Mick Fiona. Perhaps Mick was influencing me. I have another similar story about a man in a kilt (true) which could be fun and who was my great uncle, Mick's uncle Hugh. A crofter.

Oh my goodness, this is spooky!!

Ah, a crofter.....am I guessing right that your fathers red hair could be down to his Celtic origins? I look forward to the crofter in his kilt...and I do hope there will be lots of woad in your painting!lol

Thanks Margaret, I must have achieved the right effect. Having looked a little closer at what surrealism is lately I would want to put this painting in that category because of the subconscious element in it. Yes Fiona, the red (Rory in Gaelic) in Mick was certainly Gaelic. Mick's dad's family were from North Roscommon and had been there for centuries before they got hungry and came to Durham (before we would go out to a social Annette would say, 'And don't you mention the Famine'). Mick's mam's family were from County Monaghan. They were Cairns and Watson, (either 2 Scottish or 1 Scottish and 1English name) which makes me think they could have gone over there with Cromwell. Still full of the Celt. 'Wode' betide anyone who got in their way. I suspect the red hair came from Monaghan not Roscommon. It jumped me and my sisters but came back again in triumph in my nephew.

My great-great granddad was Patrick Malone, who traveled from Ireland in the late 1800's to Stranraer to work the land. Three more generations were born in Rhins of Galloway, all mostly working the land or in service, depending on their gender. I think they were and still are, in some areas, known as the Galloway Irish. Their colouring favoured the black hair green eye Celts....thankfully!lol I think they are originally from Romany stock. Fascinating stuff!

All noted Fiona. Coincidentally the Scots/Irish have been referred to in history as the black Irish. All the McManuses I've met in Roscommon are dark but there are lots of Rory's in history too. The assumption being that they were red. In fact, the last king of Ireland was Rory O'Conor, who I can claim is an ancestor through my YDNA. Those dark McManuses I've met are really (truely) georgeous.

I don't doubt it Mick - so many unexplained things have happened to and around me!

Superb.

Thanks Gudrun.