In 1876, Watson traveled to New York State, and may have seen the work of painter George Inness. Although he never met Inness, he was influenced by the Hudson River School and painted along the Hudson and Susquehanna Rivers in the Adirondack Mountains. In 1880, the Marquis of Lorne opened the first exhibition of the Canadian Academy; Watson's work was displayed and he was elected an Associate member. That same year, he sold a major work, "The Pioneer Mill," to the Marquis for Queen Victoria.