Dam at Sparhawk Mill

The old brick Sparhawk Mill is a major landmark in Yarmouth, Maine. Situated just below a dam over the Royal River, it was built in 1847, replacing a wooden mill that had occupied the site since 1817. In its heyday, the Royal River Manufacturing Company produced cotton grain bags there, and in its last incarnation the mill produced braided twine for lobster traps and yachting cord. In 1991, it was converted to office space.  

I had long thought of painting it, and initially had focused on a composition that featured the mill and the river, not the dam. On a walk past the site, however, I changed my mind. The overwhelming aspect of this section of the river is clearly the dam and its adjoining structures, including the great tubes that direct water flow to the mill's turbines. So I changed my idea to focus on the dam and how it connects to the mill.  

This painting is 14 inches by 21 inches. It is framed and matted, with museum glass, and overall dimensions of 22 x 29 inches.