Watercolourist. Although Ellen Stevens was born at Dinton, Wiltshire, England she lived most of her obscure but remarkable life at Southampton, England.
At 21 she was by profession a shirt seamstress and resided at 36 York Street, St Mary, Southampton with her niece, Mary Jane Ings, who was born at Romsey, Hampshire, England in 1874 and whose profession was the same. It was during her spare time she became a most accomplished watercolourist and often exhibited her paintings at the Southampton Art Society.
Ellen bequeathed three sketch books containing watercolours of flowers to her great niece, eldest sister of Mrs E. Campbell Leith who later bequeathed them in 1970 to Miss Betty Thoday and she gave them to the National Trust in 1980. 50 of the watercolours were carefully mounted and framed and are on display at Ruffold Old Hall, Lancashire.
Her paintings (all in creamy watercolours) include the beautifully wistful "Summer Evening" 1890; "White Swan Inn, Woodmill" -- an old pub dating from the early 1800s and popular with anglers at Mansbridge, northeast of Southampton by the river Itchen which still exists -- and was exhibited at the Southampton Art Society in 1904; "Bitterne Manor" 1908; "A Cottage Interior" purchased in 1911 and "Shawford Mills".
My strong fascination for her work began when I received a Christmas card in 1990 decorated with a small but fine watercolour painting of pink campions dated May 1st, 1891. This work very much captivated and intrigued me, especially when I discovered the artist was almost unknown.
Her watercolour paintings perfectly and brilliantly capture the subject and its spiritual personality or atmosphere which were mainly flowers and landscapes and Ellen was clearly most highly gifted. She never married and died in 1951.
At 21 she was by profession a shirt seamstress and resided at 36 York Street, St Mary, Southampton with her niece, Mary Jane Ings, who was born at Romsey, Hampshire, England in 1874 and whose profession was the same. It was during her spare time she became a most accomplished watercolourist and often exhibited her paintings at the Southampton Art Society.
Ellen bequeathed three sketch books containing watercolours of flowers to her great niece, eldest sister of Mrs E. Campbell Leith who later bequeathed them in 1970 to Miss Betty Thoday and she gave them to the National Trust in 1980. 50 of the watercolours were carefully mounted and framed and are on display at Ruffold Old Hall, Lancashire.
Her paintings (all in creamy watercolours) include the beautifully wistful "Summer Evening" 1890; "White Swan Inn, Woodmill" -- an old pub dating from the early 1800s and popular with anglers at Mansbridge, northeast of Southampton by the river Itchen which still exists -- and was exhibited at the Southampton Art Society in 1904; "Bitterne Manor" 1908; "A Cottage Interior" purchased in 1911 and "Shawford Mills".
My strong fascination for her work began when I received a Christmas card in 1990 decorated with a small but fine watercolour painting of pink campions dated May 1st, 1891. This work very much captivated and intrigued me, especially when I discovered the artist was almost unknown.
Her watercolour paintings perfectly and brilliantly capture the subject and its spiritual personality or atmosphere which were mainly flowers and landscapes and Ellen was clearly most highly gifted. She never married and died in 1951.
Watercolourist. Although Ellen Stevens was born at Dinton, Wiltshire, England she lived most of her obscure but remarkable life at Southampton, England.
At 21 she was by profession a shirt seamstress and resided at 36 York Street, St Mary, Southampton with her niece, Mary Jane Ings, who was born at Romsey, Hampshire, England in 1874 and whose profession was the same. It was during her spare time she became a most accomplished watercolourist and often exhibited her paintings at the Southampton Art Society.
Ellen bequeathed three sketch books containing watercolours of flowers to her great niece, eldest sister of Mrs E. Campbell Leith who later bequeathed them in 1970 to Miss Betty Thoday and she gave them to the National Trust in 1980. 50 of the watercolours were carefully mounted and framed and are on display at Ruffold Old Hall, Lancashire.
Her paintings (all in creamy watercolours) include the beautifully wistful "Summer Evening" 1890; "White Swan Inn, Woodmill" -- an old pub dating from the early 1800s and popular with anglers at Mansbridge, northeast of Southampton by the river Itchen which still exists -- and was exhibited at the Southampton Art Society in 1904; "Bitterne Manor" 1908; "A Cottage Interior" purchased in 1911 and "Shawford Mills".
My strong fascination for her work began when I received a Christmas card in 1990 decorated with a small but fine watercolour painting of pink campions dated May 1st, 1891. This work very much captivated and intrigued me, especially when I discovered the artist was almost unknown.
Her watercolour paintings perfectly and brilliantly capture the subject and its spiritual personality or atmosphere which were mainly flowers and landscapes and Ellen was clearly most highly gifted. She never married and died in 1951.
At 21 she was by profession a shirt seamstress and resided at 36 York Street, St Mary, Southampton with her niece, Mary Jane Ings, who was born at Romsey, Hampshire, England in 1874 and whose profession was the same. It was during her spare time she became a most accomplished watercolourist and often exhibited her paintings at the Southampton Art Society.
Ellen bequeathed three sketch books containing watercolours of flowers to her great niece, eldest sister of Mrs E. Campbell Leith who later bequeathed them in 1970 to Miss Betty Thoday and she gave them to the National Trust in 1980. 50 of the watercolours were carefully mounted and framed and are on display at Ruffold Old Hall, Lancashire.
Her paintings (all in creamy watercolours) include the beautifully wistful "Summer Evening" 1890; "White Swan Inn, Woodmill" -- an old pub dating from the early 1800s and popular with anglers at Mansbridge, northeast of Southampton by the river Itchen which still exists -- and was exhibited at the Southampton Art Society in 1904; "Bitterne Manor" 1908; "A Cottage Interior" purchased in 1911 and "Shawford Mills".
My strong fascination for her work began when I received a Christmas card in 1990 decorated with a small but fine watercolour painting of pink campions dated May 1st, 1891. This work very much captivated and intrigued me, especially when I discovered the artist was almost unknown.
Her watercolour paintings perfectly and brilliantly capture the subject and its spiritual personality or atmosphere which were mainly flowers and landscapes and Ellen was clearly most highly gifted. She never married and died in 1951.
