🎨 Felicity Rutherford
Raw - Honest - Expressive
Unique - Curious - Resonant
Bringing colour, energy, joy and personality to your space.
Thank you for visiting my page. I trust you’ll enjoy your browse.
‘Thoughtful and evocative with a sensitive use of abstraction’.
Based on the Sunshine Coast Felicity’s practice is informed by the natural environments that surround her, including coastlines, hinterlands, rural spaces and the subtle rhythms of everyday life. While she has painted for many years, recent seasons have seen her dedicate more time to her creative practice, embracing the confidence, curiosity and joy that comes with it.
Working abstractly, Felicity builds layered, textural compositions that feel intuitive and gently considered. Marks, fragments and soft colour shifts come together in works that invite pause rather than demand attention, reflecting memory, landscape and quiet observation rather than direct representation.
Irene Mengel
Gallerist, Aspire Gallery, Brisbane.
🖋️ A note from the artist …
Why Abstract ?
(A question I am often asked).
I don’t paint PICTURES
I don’t paint PRETTY
I PAINT EMOTION.
The sub-conscious link of the colour choices and marks that I am instinctively making guide me to the emotions and memories that are shaping the narrative of the work.
Creating in this way is my joy. The push and pull that gets me to a ‘finished work’. Being able to look into the final outcome and see the previous layers - either as texture or as a hazy visual reference - gives the work a history and depth which creates a personality all of its own. When my soul feels that all of these elements are combining together and speaking their truth, I know it is done. I also love to include some unexpected – often almost hidden – moments, to provoke a sense of wonder and/or curiosity. I use these to pull a viewer in closer to inspect, and to hopefully walk away being thoughtfully awakened by the interaction.
It also brings me such joy when I am with someone interacting with my work. Bringing their lived experience with them which frames their interpretation – which is often quite different to mine - is always an interesting and enlightening experience. The fact that a visual work can be so ‘multi-lingual’ in this way – and having its story speaking to them uniquely as their own is always amazing.
It is always very special being able to awaken something in others with my work, and I never take that gift for granted.
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On a personal level, I am a fairly quiet, reserved and modest person. I have confidence in myself, but am not one to ‘blast it from the rooftops’. My aim is always to be the very best version of myself, and to boost other people around me to have confidence in themselves and believe in their self worth as the individual that they are.
🏆 Awards & Recognition
Felicity’s work has been honoured across Queensland :
🥇 2026 – Selected to be included in the ‘Top 100 - Petite Pieces’ Exhibition - Aspire Gallery Brisbane.
2026 - Two of my small minis were selected for possible inclusion in a movie being shot on the Gold Coast.
🥇 2025 – Monthly Finalist – Aspire Galleries Annual 'Unveiled' Competition
🥇 2025 – Winner, Members Award – Matthew Flinders Art Prize
🏅 2023 – People’s Choice Award – Foot Square Competition, Aspire Gallery
🥇 2023 – Best Acrylic Painting – Immanuel Arts Festival
🥇 2023 – 2nd Place – Matthew Flinders Art Prize
🎖️ 2015 – Honourable Mention – Caloundra Regional Gallery
🎖️ 2014 – Finalist – Local Artists Competition, Caloundra
🎖️ 2010 – Highly Commended – Tewantin Local Artist Competition
Felicity’s paintings now hang in homes across Australia and overseas — bringing joy, energy, and emotional depth to collectors around the world.
📬 Contact
I have selected a few of the works from my portfolio to list for you to view here. If you are thinking you might like something a little bigger (or a lot bigger) please feel free to explore more.
I am also on instagram and facebook if you would like to follow along and see what I am up to. I hope to see you there.
If you’d like more information about any of these works - or others that are not displayed here - please feel free to contact me.
The artworks displayed on this page are ‘The Song and Dance of the Night Garden’ and ‘Moods Of Maleny’ Series.
The artwork used as the background to this page is ‘Moments of Clarity Lost In Time’
Now, Let the fun begin …
Felicity Rutherford
I appreciate you taking the time to view my work. Please feel free to contact me should you require any more information.
With thanks, Felicity.