Creativity at Work
Oil painting by Edith Stevens. 1929
Plaster sculpture by Edith Stevens. Circa 1920’s
Enamelware by Edith Stevens.
Millinery design by Edith Stevens.
Textile design by Edith Stevens.
Jewelry design by Edith Stevens. 1940-50s.
Watercolor by Edith Stevens. 1917
Creating a range of art, crafts and design
Edith explored various artistic pursuits over the course of her life. She was generally a self-taught artist, creating numerous illustrations and drawings in her teens and early 20s, mainly studying the female form. These studies served as a foundation to Edith launching the Us Girls comic strip in 1929 which featured women and various fashion trends.
During the Great Depression, she designed and sewed her own hats. Her interest in fabrics and textiles continued where she designed and hand sewed plush toys and created various textiles that she made into fashion accessories or household items like table runners or doilies.
Edith was part of a collective of women who made enamelware and jewelry together through the 1940s and 50s. They often traded their creations among different members of their group.
In the 1940s, Edith became friendly with the renowned Cape Ann artist Aldro T. Hibbard. She greatly admired his work which influenced her approach to landscape painting. During her retirement in the 1960s-70s, Edith’s artistic pursuits focused almost exclusively on oil painting.
Serving spoon by Edith Stevens.
Plush toy by Edith Stevens.
Jewelry design by Edith Stevens.
Plush toy by Edith Stevens.
Hat and doily design by Edith Stevens.
Oil painting by Edith Stevens.