Watson's Mill in Manotick Ontario
Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24 inches (2010)

A painting of Watson's Mill in Manotick Ontario, presented in the morning of an early fall day. This was painted in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the mill construction.

I rarely paint scenes that are constantly being painted by other artists. The mill is so popular and beautiful that it seems that everyone is either photographing or painting it. It would be kind of impossible to find and display a view of the mill without literally "copying" the view of someone else. This kind of over-exposure would take away from individual styles and perspectives, and that for an artist is totally a bummer.

Watson’s Mill is a 19th century grist and flour mill, one of few industrial sites in the greater Ottawa area at mid 19^th century. It's one of those places solidly linked to the foetal Canada in the beginnings of our Industrial Age.

The Mill was built by Moss Kent Dickinson and Joseph Currier in 1860. Tragedy followed co-owner Currier when his lady wife, Ann Crosby, was accidentally caught by the machinery and killed. He was so upset by the tragedy that he sold his share and moved away form Manotick.

People claim that apparitions of Ann Crosby appear from time-to-time.

The painting shows a metal tôle à la canadienne roof, the original roof design. Replaced long ago by a cedar shake-style roof, it is now leaking quite a bit. As of this writing (March 2010), restoration of the original metal design is part of a fundraising activity.

Oh, yes ... the apostrophé in the title indicates the title is shortened from a longer greeting "Good morning mill", like the mill is a person eh?

Please do not reproduce the images in this display.
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