Sherman Hill

"On Sherman Hill," oil on linen panel, 16x12

One of the places my sketch group goes is Sherman Hill, a turn-of-the-20th century area not far from the center of Des Moines. The neighborhood is dominated by big Victorian houses, some still serving one family, some broken into apartments. The paint jobs of many echo the styles and colors of the time they were built, so you see bright colors and sometimes unusual ones. 

Here, the autumn colors and slanting light were my primary interest. The area is well-named, hilly and filled with mature trees. This particular studio painting is a result of many watercolor studies and reference photos.