In Della Jaques Stephens' award winning oil painting, a mated pair of blue birds stands next to and atop the weathered gray birdhouse where they've chosen to nest. In the background, a barn rests in the middle of a verdant pasture, the bright chartreuse of early spring spreading from the meadow to the new leaves of the trees beyond. Everything in the scene feels primed for the young couple's success. The sky echoes the deep blue and white of the birds' plumage. The seasoned birdhouse stands atop an old split rail fence that seems to hold the foreground in its embrace, offering the pair an armful of Black-eyed Susans, yarrow, pussywillow, and wild purple thistles.
Della Jaques Stephens was born and raised in Devil's Slide, Utah and moved to Henefer, UT after she married. Stephens began her love of painting after all of her seven children were married. She attributed her love of art to her great grandpa Francis (Frank) Clark of Upton, Utah, who was a well-known Utah artist. She loved the beauty of nature and loved putting it on canvas. She studied painting for many years with Carol France and also with Loraine Toone. Stephens had a passion for painting and loved every painting she created. Her husband was very proud of her accomplishments and would show her paintings to everyone who visited their home.
