Born to artist parents, Charles H. and Alice Barber Stephens, Daniel Owen Stephens was associated with the Rose Valley community and with
William Price, who had converted a barn into a residence and studios for the family after they moved to Rose Valley in 1904. D. Owen Stephens received most of his training from his parents and at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He apprenticed with
Day & Klauder and in the 1930s was associated with several firms connected to
Elizabeth Fleisher.
In June 1937 Stephens traveled to the Andes Mountains on a painting commission from the New York Museum of Natural History. He died on the way home.