Bethan Rutherford

Illustration - BA (Hons)

My name is Bethan and I am a British illustrator based in Cambridgeshire.

I enjoy working with characters and nature; often a combination of the two! They are my main influences and inspiration, and using my skills to visually explore these themes helps me to navigate the world. It gives me the opportunity to investigate and associate personalities and behaviours with both inanimate and lively aspects of nature, making links between us and the world we live in. This interest follows me into the stories I imagine, the games I play, and the way I present myself as a person.

My work revolves around identity, often within nature. I like to use a variety of methods such as digital programs, drawing, photography and small scale sculpting and building to bring my ideas to life. My chosen mediums are always changing to keep the process fresh and engaging! In this way, I have developed a love for the likes of book binding and other hand-made crafts which are both physically stimulating and terribly satisfying once you hold a finished product in your hands.

In my exploration of the likes of gender identity and the LGBT+ community’s connection to nature, I can only hope that my visualisations can help educate and intrigue people as to our beautifully natural lived experiences. It is important to both me and my work that it feels expressive, inclusive and invokes a strong sense of identity pride.