I donated Lucky Day Bluebird to Almonte's the Hub and Rebound auction for the 2nd Annual Glitz Gala, 27 September 2014, which is an incredible local success. The painting was bid on and bought and the proceeds went to assist The Hub Hospice Palliative Care and the Hub's Youth Camps Subsidy. I'm so glad to have helped raise funds and awareness for these two excellent initiatives.

The Blue Sheep in the Family was donated to the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum  (MVTM) Almonte, as the grand prize for the Mississippi Lamb Race that happened at the 19th annual Fibrefest, in September 2014. Proceeds from tickets sales for the Lamb Race went to the Museum - to help with programming and operational costs. The MVTM is one of my most favourite places in the world and, again, I'm really pleased to help make it as successful as possible. 

Isn't Almonte the best place?! (In case you didn't know.)

Update: the painting is sold. Looks good in its new home, doesn't it?

Although this painting was well-liked at the Juniper Island Art Festival this past weekend, it didn't sell. Ah well. I'm reducing the price - anyone interested at $460?

Meant to post this much earlier! Three of my paintings are available for sale or rent at the Ottawa Art Gallery. The picture below shows the three on display in the art rental and sales gallery there. Thanks OAG!

• 5703 Martin Street North 
• Seven acres of fields and forest
• Riverfront on the Mississippi River
• 20 minutes walk to downtown
• 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

No other property compares to this one-of-a-kind location: rural, private and beautiful at the edge of town, and a lovely family home.

Price: $418,000

The house is ten years old and well maintained. Ranch style. South-facing, energy efficient.

1288 square feet (28'x46'), three bedrooms, one bathroom, pine plank wood floors throughout (except bathroom). Beautiful views from all windows.

High-ceilinged, unfinished, 1288 square feet walk-out basement - double doors with screen - perfect for a studio apartment or a workshop or just a large family room(s). Laundry is in the basement.

Plenty of space outside for large gardens, any size garage with studio apartment above, storage, other projects...

 A walking trail runs from well past this property to Carss Street, Almonte. In winter: cross country skiing right from your back door. In summer: kayak to Almonte or to Blakeney or beyond from your own water access. Year round: the best walk in town.

Heat: propane and wood. Annual cost approx: $1725

Water: well and septic. Water tested yearly - always perfect. Annual cost: $0

Hydro: Ottawa River Power Generation. Annual cost: $450 (There's an on-demand propane hot water heater - no water tank to heat or rent)

Annual taxes: $3400 (2013)

Price: $418,000 

living room with sliding screen door to deck

a view from main living room window

more living room

kitchen (appliances included in purchase price)

Entry (kitchen to left, stairs to basement to right)

Hall

one of three bedrooms

The bedroom above is 10'-3 3/4" x 13'-11 1/4" with a "bump out" of an additional 5' x 3 1/2'. All three bedrooms have closets. The other two bedrooms are being painted - no pictures yet. They are 11'-6 1/4" x 11'-5 1/4" and 11'-1' x 11'-5 1/4".

Bathroom

half of basement

Wood stove in basement. The house is heated by a high-efficiency propane furnace and this high-efficiency stove.

tree house on way down to waterfront

kayaks at waterfront

North side

Walking path to town. 20 minutes to downtown and 12 minutes to high school

Note: I own a microFIT solar energy generation system, located on the property. (See panels in the winter image above.) My contract for power generation runs for another 16 years. Possible options on this set up:

• buy the contract outright from me
• rent the space to me for 10% of the monthly income the system generates

For more information and to visit, please call Jill at (613) 256-8128 or email to jillkmc@gmail.com

Long gone: a day, Aug. 15th 1924, in the life of Almonte & Ramsay Townships is an exhibition of my newest paintings. Visit the Art in the Manor Gallery in Fairview Manor, 75 Spring Street, Almonte ON to see this slice of local history and art.

The paintings in the exhibit are all inspired by one page of articles and advertisements, on one day, in the Almonte Gazette, the local paper that begun in 1861. The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) has put the Gazette archive online in a searchable database. Interested folks can also see an original Bennies Corners Baseball jersey and 3/4 length trousers at the MVTM - thanks to the care of the Snedden family. The baseball uniform is made from wool material donated by the McDougall/Campbell Mill that was located in Blakeney (previously known as Rosebank and Snedden's Mills).

An opening wine and snacks reception for Long gone happens on Thursday, June 12, at 7:00PM at the Manor. The show runs from June 10 to August 12, 2014. 

Our heavy hitter

Six of the paintings in the exhibit. The Almonte Gazette from 1924 is visible in the middle of this image.