Rutherford was born at
Kings Norton in
Worcestershire and spent part of her childhood in
Broomfield near
Chelmsford where her father, who was originally from
County Down, was a church rector. Rutherford subsequently studied at the
Slade School of Fine Art in London and then took a teaching post in Colchester. She received a drawing permit from the
War Artists' Advisory Committee to record the work of her fellow VAD nurses and their patients. After the war, Rutherford spent some time helping
Cedric Morris and
Arthur Lett-Haines in running the
East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing. She exhibited paintings at the
Royal Academy on at least two occasions, in 1937 and 1947, with the
New English Art Club and was elected a member of the
Art Workers Guild in 1970. ==References==