MEG RUTHERFORD ILLUSTRATING
Book Awards
THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND: Meg Rutherford, George Alan and Unwin, 1969. Collage.
Award: included in ‘Fifty Best Books of the Year’, American Institute of Graphic
Artists 1969 (exhibition 1970).
Selected for the competitive exhibition of the National Book League with the Victoria
& Albert Museum Francis Williams Bequest for Illustrated Books 1967 – 1971
Shown in the Frankfurt Book Fair amongst ‘Best of British Books’.
LITTLE BIRD I HAVE HEARD: Fiona Macdonald, Kaye & Ward. 1980
Included in the ‘Children’s Book of the Year 1980’ by the Children’s Book
Foundation.
BLUFF AND BRAN AND THE SNOWDRIFT, Meg Rutherford, Andre Deutsch 1987.
Included in the Booksellers Association ‘Books for giving’ Christmas 1987
and in the ‘Children’s Book of the Year 1988’ published by the Children’s Book
Foundation.
BIG PADA, LITTLE PANDA; Joan Stimson, Scholastic, 1993.
Selected for inclusion in the ‘Children’s Books of the Year 1994’ published by
the (Young) Book Trust.
NEW HOME FOR TIGER; Joan Stimson, Scholastic 1996.
Highly commended in Right Start Magazine/Petits Filous ‘Best Toy’ in the Books
category.
SWIM POLAR BEAR, SWIM; Joan Stimson, Scholastic 1997,
Runner up in the Parents’ Play and Learn Award 1997.
OSCAR’S STARRY NIGHT; Joan Stimson, Scholastic, 1999.
Awarded 1999 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor, Baltimore, USA
Other mentions.
AESOPS FABLES, retold by Robert Mathias, line illustrations by Meg Rutherford included in the Bibliography for ‘Fabulous Fables. Using fables with Children’. “A well written and attractively designed book. This volume would serve as a good basic purchase for a fable collection”
DRAWINGS and ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEG RUTHERFORD
EXCLUDING THOSE PUBLISHED IN BOOKS,
AND ON POSTERS AND GREETINGS CARDS
Meg made possibly thousands of drawings as part of her studies in Sydney and London.
Subsequently a large number of illustrating projects going back 39 years are recorded of which 77 were for known published books (for which see Books Illustrated by Meg). For many of the remaining projects no further information has been found so these are listed in a separate section of this list. Meg also created a large number of drawings and illustrations for pleasure or for family and friends; most are now dispersed.
As a result this listing has been has been compiled from numerous sources, often only from a description or photograph (which rarely give date and size of the original); there will, as a result be many omissions but it is hoped few duplications.
Given the caveats above, the list below is far from a complete record of Meg’s output. Generally, drawings are in pencil or pen or brush and ink; illustrations are in watercolour or gouache, sometimes scraper board.
Published book illustrations and those produced as part of the process leading to publication, such as drafts, trials and discarded, are not listed. Similarly, drawings and sketches preliminary to a produced sculpture are not listed.
Drawings made in Australia prior to 1958
A sketch book of pen and ink, pencil or in some cases brush, of a variety of subjects, such as stylised figures, animals, Japanese style plants, probably made at the National Art School, 1955 to 1957.
Numerous life class drawings on tracing paper, produced at the National Art School. 1955-1957.
The training at The National Art School, Sydney Sculpture course included drawing on Fridays
with figure work until 3pm followed by portrait study until 5pm. “I always had a secret
admiration for your ability to see things so clearly. Your portraits in Dadswell’s classes were
always well observed.” (Maurice Lowe, a contemporary of Meg at the National Art School).
Several pencil drawings of Gum Trees
Drawings displayed at Meg’s final exhibition at NAS
Head of an aboriginal man, pencil.
The back of a lying woman, pencil.
Two drawings of two and one drawing of three spiny Gastropod sea-shells, in black ink.
1958 to 1967 - Drawings in pencil, and pen or brush with black ink, some colour wash.
Meg had a very large box of drawings, mostly on tracing paper and done whilst she was at the Slade. Counting would have been very time consuming. ‘I was sorting for the Slade. You have to submit sixteen drawings, but I had over a thousand of these things. I used to be compulsive about drawing. I used to draw every single time I had a second; it was something I could not be without’. (From a recording made by Meg some time after 1972).
Examination shows the drawings can be classified in each of the categories below:-
- drawings showing the development in Meg’s mind of her abstract sculptures.
- life and figure drawings, many very stylised
- plant drawings, many very stylised.
- miscellaneous drawings of a range of subjects, some of actual items.
27 drawings showing the development of Meg’s cube sculpture, mostly
two dimensional layouts of all six sides of the final designs.
Untitled, but the subject is the garden front, Manor House, Chilcomb, near Winchester. 1958.
A set of pen and ink sketches of pigs in various poses, 10 x 8 or 11 x 8½ inches,
1958 (9) and 1960 (38). At least one more of a pig curled up asleep.
1958 to 1967 - Drawings in pencil, and pen or brush with black ink, some colour wash continued.
- A Bird of Paradise with a broad pale bushy tail.
- A Bird of Paradise with two narrow curved feathers at the end of a bushy tail.
- A long-legged, long-necked, bird, light breast feathers, facing left with head curved to right.
- A long-legged, long necked, bird, dark breast feathers, facing right with head curved to left.
- A Tasmanian Devil
- A Bush Baby.
The above drawings were displayed in a window in Portobello Road, London, early 1960s.
- A long-legged, long-necked, bird with long dark breast feathers, facing left.
- A long-legged, bird with long upward curving beak facing left.
- A Bird of Paradise with two long, broadening, tail feathers through a bushy tail.
- A long-legged, long necked, bird with droopy tail, facing right.
Published drawings other than book illustrations etc.
Cover illustration for the WILSON LIBRARY BULLETIN, USA, April 1972
Meg submitted four drawings of which the one above was published.
‘Please tell Meg Rutherford what a hit her blue dragon has made in my library. I want one; the art teacher wants one; the children have been trying to swipe this one – I’m sure that if that picture was a life-size portrait of a real creature, most of the homes of the fourth, fifth and sixth graders in Mahwah, N.J. would now be trying to raise one as the family pet!’
Joan Taylor, Joyce Kilner School, Mahwah, N.J. 07430.
Drawing for Ann Warren-Davis MNIMH used in her article for the Herbal Review
Autumn 1980, page 20; these drawings were also used by Warren-Davis for her
Herb Society information leaflets.
34 pen and ink drawings for Lanning Roper’s Gardening Column in the Sunday Times 1973-5.
A b/w drawing of a cat, teddy bear and girl reading under a tree for Beaconsfield Library
‘holiday happenings, Summer 1987.
Book illustrations not published
A set of drawings commissioned by Hamlyn, 1970, for Michael Stapleton’s
book ‘Creatures of Mythology’ – for which see ‘Books illustrated by Meg Rutherford’.
Numerous sketches 1972 to 1977 for Meg’s unpublished book ‘Wildlife in our garden’ (For
which see ‘Books written and illustrated by Meg Rutherford’)
Rider and horseman at night with flowing brown cloak with seven running hounds. Gouache,
9 inches square. Probably a book illustration, but which book?
Four lots of elephants for Oxford University Press. For what? Nothing more known.
A pair of carnations, pen & ink, 10 x 6 inches in the style of those drawn by Meg for
‘Percy Thrower’s Guide to Colour in your Garden, Hamlyn 1976.
Many paintings using the Bluff and Bran characters, especially Bluff (the cat) and to a lesser
extent Bran (the Teddy Bear)
Bluff licks Bran’s ear, 7 x 8, w/c, 1984
MISCELLANEOUS THREE DIMENSIONAL WORKS
The first creations known to the compiler of this list
Felt horse ‘Thunder’, 3½ inches, 1947.
Felt horse ‘Lightning’ c 1½ inches, 1947
Bamboo match box with push-on lid and strike patch, about 3 inches, c. 1953.
A hard wood spherical many piece puzzle, ¾ inch, probably c 1955
Film work
Made and animated a model Peacock for John Stoddart’s film ‘Blue Beards Last wife’,
8 inches nose to tail, also a wedding cake and table decorations for the film, 1965
Made four plaster animals and figures for Ken Russell’s film ‘Women in Love, 1968.
Other weird or imaginative items
Wooden figure with articulated shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles named
Ingmar-George, 26 inches tall, probably early 1963.
Hand and forearm with articulated fingers, wood, 12 inches, probably early 1960s.
Designed and created an octagonal maze with ball in painted wood, called Octomill for
Play Orbit exhibition of Toys, in the Institute of Contemporary Arts and then in Flint,
c/o the Welsh Arts Council. 15 inches square, 1969.
Published in the Play Orbit book/catalogue (p. 141) accompanying the exhibition.
Designed three window security grills of plant forms for her Beaconsfield home c 1985
The following are of uncertain date but almost certainly before 1966.
Cheese Plant leaf, 7 inches - pine wood.
Boys in a large wooden box, arms attached outside, having a picnic and being led by an angel.
Tall, flat, figure, wood, holding a drawn flower, and with sections which can be rotated to form
different faces, about 15 inches.
Box with black &white patterned legs protruding from the front and a spherical head on top.
Tall flat figure with a bird head and four straight legs, wood.
Stringed musical instrument with rectangular sound box and taller front, drawn face and hand
on the front, drawn flower and seed pod on the back, about 15 inches.
Flat board 7 x 5 inches, with a moustached face top left carved into it and with 13 clock gears
attached in three rows bottom right.
Flat board about 14 x 4 inches, with face carved in and with carved hands in outline holding a
tall narrow flower.
Cube face, wood, 6 inches.
Smiling face, wood, 8 inches diameter.
Sun face, bronzed resin, 14 inches diameter, using the face above for the centre.
Tall wooden figure, the body consisting of four slender pillars enclosing a ball. About 10 inches.
A ball with three drawn faces, sharing four eyes, mounted on a square pillar at 90 degrees to its
base, 7 inches tall. Ditto, on a slender pillar.
Four square blocks piled horizontally, each with a section of a face on each side, the whole
contained in a frame, to allow sixteen different faces; ink on wood. 1963.
.
Specialised knitwear (i.e. excluding normal ‘family’ knitting), mainly 1990s.
At least seventeen cardigans and pullovers of many colours and patterns designed and knitted.
A crocheted shawl of many colours.
A crocheted shoulder bag, light grey-brown base, of a couple leaning over a house
with three children in the foreground, back Meg’s trademark cats paw print.
A cat in crochet, 18 inches, as models for ‘Bluff’ in her ‘Bluff and Bran books’. c1985
Hat and trousers with braces for the teddy bear model for Bran in her ‘Bluff and Bran’ books.
A grey cat in crochet, 7½ inches and a badger, 16 inches as models in her ‘Foggy’ books.
Badger glove puppet in crochet, c 16 inches
Meg spun some of her own wool, usually from Jacob’s Sheep for the colour variety.
Other clothing
Meg made many of her own clothes and a large number of hats.
In particular, made her wedding dress and shoe covering (cream), her bridesmaid’s dress
(green), and her husband’s waistcoat (cream), all in the same type and pattern of material,
1966 and subsequently the same pattern waistcoat but in light blue for her husband.
Glass beads and necklaces
Made many glass beads using a lamp-work technique. Meg created a few necklaces using the
beads she made, also at least one pair of earrings.
Created a number of necklaces using purchased beads and also rearranged acquired necklaces
using additional or some different beads so as to make the necklaces more to her liking.
Furniture.
Made a quality folding table with a top adjustable to be level or at a slight slope, c 1990.
Made a tall cupboard with a hanging section and above a shorter storage section; with a waist high side section with three cupboards. All doors were purchased with the four small cupboard doors having pictures of sea shells added.
Blown glass.
562 items of blown glass recorded as having been successfully completed 1993 to 1995.
Meg’s output consisted of a range of items, often using colour, such as:-
- Goblets
- Vases
- Bowls
- Paper weights
- Tumblers, many with splashes of several colours
- Tankards
- Various shapely solid items
Later with increasing skill and confidence more imaginative items, such as:-
- Vessels, mostly with long necks, with twists on the base,
- Vessels with internal threads many of gold-ruby colour
- Vessels with tear-drops on the surface
Meg sandblasted parts of some of her output to make the items more interesting.
OTHER TWO-DIMENSIONAL WORK BY MEG RUTHERFORD
Imaginative drawings and collage
Six large sheets of imaginative collage drawings using engravings mainly of church plans. Early 1960s.
Meg bought damaged 19 th C volumes of engravings from a market stall in Faringdon Road, London; see ‘The Beautiful Island’ by Meg for some of these engraving.
A print of a ‘General outline of Warwick Castle’ with an ink border
added by Meg with keep to the left to form the outline side view of as fat pig. Probably before 1965.
News cutting of three football players, hands behind heads, with ‘stretch lines’ from mouth and hands to feet added by Meg.
A composite photograph forming a sitting cat, the head being Scotney Castle and its reflection in water turned sideways,
the body a photograph of a tree withy roots forming the cats feet and with an added neck bow in brown paper stuck on. About 1967.
A collage of a lady and gentleman couple in fine 18 th C dress, formed from engravings of the interior of bones and other unidentifiable engravings,
probably of detailed body parts, their heads being separate cut-out engravings. Around mid 1960s.
Drawing of a cat divided in three horizontal set of flaps to allow creation of different, and sometimes strange creatures. Probably before 1970.
Plywood cut-outs, mostly made in the 1970s
Painted cats on plywood
- A portrait of Meg’s tabby cat ‘Rover’, 36 cm tall.
- A portrait of an imaginative ginger cat ‘Jam Jones’ sitting on an embroidered footstool. 45 cm tall.
- Ditto but not sitting on a footstool.
- A fluffy ginger kitten, probably 23 cm tall.
- Three black and white cats, probably 23 cm tall.
- A Siamese cat, probably 23 cm tall.
- A tortoiseshell cat, about 23 cm tall and a similar one as a kitten about 13 cm tall.
- Another, unknown design and size, for antique shop Dodo, 1975
Several plywood cut outs of daffodils and iris 20 x 23 wide to 23 to 30 cm tall.
Pear with moveable arms and legs, about 4 inches tall.
Apple with slit eyes and moveable arms, stand protrudes thro’ to form nose, about 9cm.
Rocking horse, about 20 cm. Model aeroplane, about 23 cm.
A strange tiger with a long tail.
Plywood 30 cm cube with cut-out sides of plants, mid 1980s. (4 x two-dimensional pieces)
Eight foot wide cut-out of plants to form an arch in a square room division, mid 1980s.
Stained glass creations – 2003 to 2005
Sunsets - 18 x 13 cm
With a green blob on a white ground squeezed between two blue areas. (Not actually a sunset, but probably gave the idea for the sunset designs).
‘Sunset over the Ulwell Gap’
Setting sun with one white cloud Setting sun with two white clouds, a patch of pink cloud and blue sky.
Red sun between green fields and white clouds.
Sunset on darkening sky with pink cloud and green foreground.
Late sunset, dark sky, deep green foreground, no clouds. With bright red clouds half hiding the deep red sun, deep blue sky, green foreground.
Sunset with orange and white clouds, blue sky, green foreground (vertical).
Blue and white sky sectioned by a rayed sun, with white and pink sky above.
Other
Fish in five colours 18 x 13 cm
Multi layer circular creations
Blue, orange with a red centre in a wooden ring inches diameter
Light blue and turquoise with a red centre in a wooden ring 9 cm diameter inside the ring.
Chromatic glass outer layers with one orange and blue several mobile disks in between, 11.5 cm diameter.
Another similar, with one orange and several green disks in between, 11.5 cm diameter
Plaque design.
Designed a plaque with different national symbols in the four corners with a central oval, for Manor House, Chilcomb, Winchester.
Carved in slate by Simon Verity. Now at St Andrews Church, Chilcomb
Designed three window grills in leaf patterns made in iron for a domestic house.
Photographic Exhibitions
Dorset Art and Crafts Annual Exhibition 2004. Swanage Museum Art Show, 2004. Selected Images of Durlston, 2007
Photographs 2003 to 2006
(Only photographs printed sufficiently large and intended for display are listed).
‘ Winter Sun’, a misty gateway and light.
Runner-up in the ‘Images of Durlston and beyond’ competition 2003.
Macro close up, mainly of plants
‘ Wood mouse’, a close-up pf a Wood Mouse at Durlston
‘ Iris 1and ‘Iris 2’. Sold as a pair by Harris Interiors, Bournemouth, 2006.
‘Iris 3’.‘Iris iv’.‘ Iris’ Close up of the banded edge of an iris petal.
‘Lady’s Mantle’. Droplets on the edge of the leaves.‘ Tulip’ Close up of the green and pink centre.
‘ Forget-me-not and …’ Forget-me-not flower with coloured background.
‘ Marigold’ Close up of the centre. The above five photographs were exhibited at the Dorset Arts and Crafts Association 2004 Exhibition.
Lady’s Mantle and Forget-me-not were also exhibited at the Swanage Museum 2004 Art Exhibition.
‘ Shadow’ of a five petal flower. Untitled Dew drops on a spiky plant.
Untitled Lady’s Mantle flower.‘Rose’ Close up of a pink and white rose.
Untitled Rose petals.
Untitled Pink poppies.
‘ Forget-me-not’
‘ Poppy’ Stamens of a pink frilly poppy.
‘ Poppy Stamens and yellow seed case of a pink frilly poppy.
‘ Poppy 1’ Top view of the green seed pod and stamens of a mauve poppy.
‘ Poppy 2’ Side view of Poppy 1.
‘ Poppy 3’ Stamens of a pink frilly poppy.
‘ Poppy 4’ Same plant as poppy 3.
‘ Poppy’ Dew drops on poppy petal.
‘ Rose’ with dew drops on the petal.
‘ Aquilegia Yellow stamens of an Aquilegia flower.
‘ Refraction’ Curves on blue and pink formed by soft focus close up.
Untitled The veins of the leaves of a dead plant.
Untitled The shadow of a plant leaf and stem.
Untitled House Fly blowing a bubble.
Untitled A green Cricket.Untitled A seaside sunset with silhouette of a Gull on a post
Photographs taken in or near Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Dorset.
Untitled. Yellow lichen on an Ash Tree, 2005. First prize in the Autumn 2005 images of Durlston’ competition.
Untitled A bundle of chain links Included in the Exhibition
‘Selected Images of Durlston’, Look Out Café, Durlston Country Park, 200
‘ Beware of the Poet’, Taken at ‘Art in the Woods’, 2006
Untitled Two Holme Oak trees. Untitled Quarr capstan.
‘
Durlston Bay’ With Valerian.
Other photographs
2 photographs of Swanage Pier
– ‘It’s not all doom and gloom’ and ‘Where is everyone’.
Submitted for the Pier Friends Photographic Competition 2003
‘ Mallard. A Mallard duck preening
Untitled A family on the beach Untitled Reflections on the flank of a Ford Ka.
Untitled The bottom of a distressed barn door.
Untitled A cliff-top bench, Peveril Point, Swanage.
Untitled Close-up of one of the portraits of the Martyrs Memorial, Tolpuddle, Dorset.
Untitled Close up of one of Meg’s multi-layer circular stained glass creations.
Untitled Broken Whelk shell with stones.
Untitled Three stone faces.
Untitled Rocks seen through water.
Untitled A doline near Briants Puddle, Dorset.Untitled Swanage from Ballard Down. Used by Dorset CC in their Countryside Brochure 2004/5
REPAIR AND RESTORATION OF ANTIQUES.
This work was mainly for various London antique dealers.
Sometime between 1958 and 1961
Cast puppet heads for television programmes.
Early 1960s
Repaired Nativity Group figures for Winchester Cathedral. 1961
Made parts for and restored an Indian wooden toy elephant.
Ditto for a small wooden figurine.
Made finger and thumb for and then restored a ceramic monkey with guitar.
Restored a 3½ feet long wooden fish.
Repaired three wooden pistols.
1962
Made and fitted a top for an Hour Glass.
Several parts and a pipe for and repaired a Negro figure.
Removed an inscription and repainted a wooden bird.
Repainted a small area of a tin candlestick.
Meg noted ‘They buy now because I will mend’ referring to the work she was getting.
Effected extensive repairs to a 6 foot wooden fawn with three cupids, including carving
various parts and restoring the whole.
1963 onwards (Meg’s records are undated from the end of 1962 until 1967)
Carved a new head for a wicker figure (The first head Meg carved was too small,
so she made a wooden articulated figure she called ‘Ingmar George’ for that head).
Repaired a wooden sun face.
Carved a lid for a small wooden box.
Fitted a small patch to another small box.
Made several wooden parts for Indian men and carriage.
Made parts for an Indian elephant howdah.
Carved and replaced parts of arms of a wooden praying man.
Restored two Venetian wood and gesso figures.
Made and attached parts to and repainted a five foot high wooden boot.
Made parts for and repaired six lay figures.
Effected repairs to all four limbs of a 3½ foot high lay figure.
Repaired a golden wooden crown.
Attached various parts of the architecture of a model grocer’s shop.
Repaired two shoe tops.
Replaced a part of a marionette.
Made two arms and tip of foot for a Venetian blackamoor.
Made and attached one left arm and one left foot to a wooden 13 inch putti.
Repaired a tiny 5 inch early 19th century globe.
Rejoined parts of a three foot high wooden letter R and carved a serif.
Made and attached parts of three wooden roosters.
Made and replaced parts of tail and side fin of a three foot long golden fish.
Carved feet and base of cloak and attach other parts of a two foot high Scotsman.
Made replacement wheels and other repairs to a toy elephant.
Made parts for three Indian standing figures, attached and restored.
Made and attached a new thumb for a wooden hand.
Reset right ear and right horn of a wooden deer’s head.
Made new arms, half a foot and generally restore a 2 foot high wooden walking man.
Mended numerous articulated Japanese Kobe toys, which normally involved making
replacement parts and restringing to bring back to working order.
Re-assembled a wooden Phoenix about 9 feet wide.
Repaired a carving of a
pair of putti on top of a fawn, wood, about 5 feet high
1967
Eight-foot high 6 panel 17/18th c chinoiserie screen of gouache. All panels remounted
and repaired.
Bead and paper scroll picture.
Mounted a small Asian upright bone figure.
Mounted bust of small amber gentleman.
Mounted a small bronze bull.
Mounted a tiny brass bird, probably Indian.
Strung a set of Persian beads.
Strung another set of beads.
Mounted a bone figure. Mounted a piece of the Acropolis.
Restored ‘a very much smashed’ wax bust.
Remounted on velvet three small bronze decorations.
Mounted an Assyrian flat clay goddess figure.
Mounted a figure on a book-end type mount.
Mounted two small East Asian (?) horses.
Mounted small East Asian bull.
Mounted soapstone jar.
Mounted a 2½ inch bronze gadget.
Set a small legless bird in a wooden stand.
Mounted a small Egyptian figure.
Mount three lions to show their purpose.
Repaired a broken wax silhouette of a lady.
Repaired Japanese Kobe toy of a man in a barrel drinking sake
Mounted a group of 5 tiny bone horses.
Mounted some glass figures.
Mounted fragmented antique clay figure.
Made four mounting pins for fragments of clothing.
Mounted an Aztec seated god.
Mounted a spread-eagled clay man.
Mounted an Aztec head of a man.
Mounted a clay standing man.
Mounted a Greek or Roman clay torso of a woman.
Mounted a clay head on a pedestal.
Hung five seals for display.
Mounted two African sticks.
Covered four 6 ft x 1½ ft screen panels.
Repaired an old glass vase.
Restored a shop window display of a crib which involved work on 16 figures
making the canopy and a cushion, assembling and fitting lighting.
Repaired six Japanese toys ,including making replacement parts.
Restored one man’s and two women’s heads.
Repaired a Buddha head.
Repaired a Cycladic
figure.
1968
Restored four cocquilla nut figures.
Made a display of stuffed and mounted birds from a larger, badly damaged, display.
Made several glass cases for stuffed birds.
Repaired a shell picture.
Repaired and restored three horses in a wax battle scene.
Repaired a wax profile portrait of a lady.
Repaired two cocquilla nut figures.
Arranged a tiny glass deer and five dogs onto to a base.
1969
Meg turned to illustrating full time, so mostly gave up repair of antiques for a while
1971
Repaired and restored a badly damaged six leaf small screen – 24 x 11 inches.
Repaired and restored another. (This plus the previous took 35 hours).
Repaired and restored a clay and wood screen 3 foot x 18 inches.
Replaced the missing eye of a glass frog
1971/72
Repaired and restored a very large clay on wood 16th c screen of ten panels with scenes in relief
This was a major and difficult task, especially replacing and repainting missing clay relief.
(Meg engaged an assistant and together they took 269 hours).
1972
Repaired and restored a paper and wood screen.
Repaired and restored a gold paper six panel screen, (taking 75 hours with an assistant).
Repaired and restored another six panel Japanese screen, including replacing backing fabric and
remaking hinges.
Repaired and restored a Victorian collage screen.
Some work on another Japanese paper screen.
Later years
Meg’s notes at this point ‘And more, but for some reason didn’t write it down (Possibly because I began to illustrate full time and odd jobs done for John (Page-Phillips) later were isolated, if fascinating).’
But she did record some examples after writing that note:-
Carved and replaced a piece of a complex lock in a ‘wooden 18th c box with a secret catch.
Replaced background for incredibly delicate 18th c paper cut seascape with ships with rigging
less than 1 inch high.
Repaired a number of Kobe toys, 1982.
Repaired a wooden musical box with three kittens dancing in a picture frame, 1985
Repaired a miniature wooden church, 1986
Replaced a missing leaf of a large glass tomato, 1993.
Made a grumpy Christmas soft toy reindeer into a smiley one for the local shop, 2005.
30 March 2016
MEG RUTHERFOD SCULPTURE
Exhibitions - Sculpture in mixed shows
Australia
‘Art of Living’, Bathurst NSW, 1958
‘Small sculpture for the home’, Society of Sculptors, Sydney, 1958
Early work of Meg Rutherford, Hayloft Gallery, Bathurst, Australia, 1969
UK and other overseas.
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition,1961
New English Arts Club,1962
‘Australian Artists Working Abroad’,
- New Metropole Arts Centre, Folkestone 1963.
- Städel’sches Kunstinstitut, Frankurt am Main 1963.
Heal’s Art Gallery,1963
‘50 Years of Sculpture’, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1965
‘Women and the Arts’ Northampton Arts Association, 1965
Commonwealth Biennial of Abstract Art, 1965
Meg went onto tape for Australian Radio for this exhibition.
Heal’s Art Gallery.
‘Experiment in Form’, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1966
‘Recent British Sculpture’ (Contemporary Arts Society) Farnham, 1966
‘Chromatic Sculpture’ (Arts Council of Great Britain), Cambridge and Harrogate, 1966
‘New Dimensions’, Camden Arts Centre, London, 1966
‘Australian Artists’ South London Art Gallery, 1966
Christmas Show, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1966
Members Show, Camden Arts Centre, London, 1967
‘Artists of the Gallery’ Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1967
‘Open Air Sculpture’ Hampstead Artists Council, in Bedford College Gardens, London, 1967
EXPO ’67, Montreal. Canada, in the ‘Britain Today’ Pavilion
Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1968.
Contemporary Group show, Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1969
‘Unpopular Culture’, Arts Council of Great Britain, touring to nine provincial cities
and towns in UK, 2008 – 2010.
CARVINGS AND SCULPTURE CREATED BY MEG RUTHERFORD
(See also list of Miscellaneous Three Dimensional Work)
The emerging talent
A standing figure of a lady carved from a stick of wood, about 10 cm plus handle, c 1953.
Squatting animal, Meg’s first stone carving, about 2.5 cm, probably c. 1953.
A fired clay tortoise, gold/bronze in colour, 6 cm, before 1954.
A fired clay squatting chicken, c 2.5 cm, before 1954.
A carved horses head, 6 cm high, probably soap stone, before 1954.
Horse and foal, balsa wood, 10 to 13 cm, before 1954.
Foal lying down, probably before 1954
Horse, plaster, before 1954, about 4 cm.
Children sitting in a cave, several centimetres across, date uncertain.
A fox, balsa wood, painted red brown, c 15 cm
Legless bull, probably in plaster
.
Items made whilst Meg was at Lavendo, NSW, as a Ladies Help, 1954
Key and chain, carved from a single piece of firewood, 14 cm.
Chains and other item carved from tree roots.
Spiral-wood-with-ball, made from some red hardwood, on a copper wire chain, spiral 5 cm.
Squared off sides, solid ends with remainder carved away to create four legs holding a ball in
place, wood, c 10 to 13 cm tall x 4 cm square. Made for the parents.
3 ditto, but c 6 cm tall x 2.5 cm square. Made for the three children.
Painted clay horse, 10 -13 cm high, 1954
Meg modelled and glazed horses out of clay for the children’s parents.
Sculpture whilst in Australia.
Some made before enrolment at NAS but most likely to have been made at NAS.
Lamp base with a hollow twisted stem, probably carved from a table leg, 28 cm tall,
1955 before first term at NAS.
Head of an elderly man, black painted plaster, 28 cm. May be a portrait.
Pair of joined, stylised tropical fish, wood, 6 cm.
Spherical lamp base, with carved flying birds in relief, wood, 13 cm in diameter.
Stylised Water Buffalo, polished wood. 23 cm.
Tall abstract female standing figure in a skirt, plaster, painted gold.
Abstract busts of two figures holding hands, stone, c 36 cm.
Slim standing female figure, hair in a bun, painted bronze.
Rooster, soapstone, about 2.5 cm.
A sea-shell, soapstone, about 2.5 cm.
Angel, soapstone.
Standing figure of a man wearing a mask? plaster.
Female figure seated on floor. One arm as a prop. Plaster. 15 cm.
Cockerel, wire,15 cm.
Four wire ‘sketches’, three of plant forms and one of a figure. Approx 15 cm.
Two roughly carved wooden angels, c 51 cm.
A very abstract piece, with two eyes, one protruding, wood, c 23 cm.
Standing male figure, arms behind back. Plaster. Probably about 120 cm.
Standing female figure, arms by side. Plaster. Probably about 120 cm.
Stylised female figure tapering from waist to shoulder, four holes through her torso.
Wood. 36 cm.
Tall, three pronged plaster and wire abstract piece.
Items known to be made whilst Meg was at National Art School, Sydney.
A very stylised human figure, hands crossed in front, probably stone.
A portrait head of Miss Runir, a fine featured female, hair in a bun, painted gold.
Stylised rearing horse, lead, c 25 cm 1955.
Figure of a well built woman, unpainted plaster, 1955.
Head of an elderly woman with her hair gathered in a net, plaster, 1955.
Tall abstract piece, plaster and wire with some way formed as rays. 1955.
Tall, thin figure. Very stylised with three vertical ribs from waist and three short
horizontal elements low down. Plaster covered with metal solder. 28 cm.
Tropical fish,11 cm, wood on an ivory base, Fish 1955,
The base may be later.
A wooden? Piece like an ear, About 12 cm tall. 1955..
Small horse, plaster, About 11 cm.1955.
Bull head down as if to charge, cast cement, c.61 cm long,
also a plaster model for same, about 13 cm long. 1955.
Another bull, head down. Wood. Size? 1956.
Stoat, coiled wire, 1956.
Water buffalo, wood, 23 cm. 1956.
Mrs Docker, a standing large hipped black woman, painted plaster, 1956.
Half a dozen frolicking French Poodles, coiled wire.
Tropical fish, soapstone, 1956.
Stoat, Red Gum wood, c 23 cm long 1956.
Portrait head of Julia, plaster, 1956.
Stylised courting couple, cast cement, probably about 50 cm. 1956
Abstract piece, rather like a human ear, soapstone, c 8 cm, 1956.
Horse and rider falling head first, lead, 20 cm, 1956.
Portrait head of Mr Trimmer, plaster, 30 cm. 1957.
Fallen gladiator, plaster? 1957.
Plaster or soapstone fish, mounted on a wooden base. Size? 1957.
A fat vertical abstract piece that defies description. Moulded plaster. 1957.
Caricature of an angry cockerel. Cast metal. 15 cm tall. 1957.
Head of Mr Kraus, with exaggerated facial features, slightly larger than life, plaster, 1957.
Elongated life model of a man holding a pole, plaster, 1957.
Life model of seated Frank White, with head supported on fist, plaster, 35.5 cm, 1957.
Head of a young woman, hair in a bun, plaster, 1957
Wire sketch of a Bull, 13 cm, 1957.
‘Plant Form’, abstract of three verticals laced with wire, plaster and brass, 1957.
Abstract figure, plaster, 28cm, also in wood probably carved out of a pole 1957.
Very abstract standing figure, one exaggerated arm out in an arc. Bronzed plaster or
cast metal. Height? 1957
Very bulbous fat figure with lopsided bottom. Plaster. C 12 cm. 1957.
Naked man holding rope over his shoulder, brown painted plaster, 70 cm. Probably 1957.
Ram, head turned to left, modelling clay with metal covering.
Spiral staircase, open wire.
Picture frame 23 x 20 cm, 1957, carved in the form of acanthus leaves, 1957
from a piece of the teak decking of the 19th c 3 mast sailing ship MacQuarie.
‘The wader’, a fat stylised figure wading up to her knees, with the base
representing the water level, wood, 35.5 cm, 1957.
Exhibited in ‘Small sculpture for the home’ David Jones Gallery, Sydney.
Abstract seated skirted figure, legs apart and one knee raised, plaster, 6 inches, 1957.
‘Monkey’, sitting Howler Monkey? sandstone, 23 inches high, 1957
Carved a piece of The
Macquirie sailing ship deck into a frame of acanthus leaves.
During her time at the National Art School, Sydney, Meg assisted Lyndon Dadswell, the Sculpture Tutor, with two commissions, - one was a four figure and eleven foot panel for the exterior of the Commonwealth Bank in Hobart, Tasmania (1955): the other was a two-figure war memorial at Newcastle (1957). Information from the Monograph on Dadswell by Deborah Edwards, confirmed by Maurice Lowe, a contemporary of Meg at the National Art School.
Life sculpture, 1958 onwards in UK
Standing man, hands behind back, plaster, c 91cm.
Head of a man, plaster.
Standing figure of a nude female, 168 cm, plaster.
Standing man wearing a mask, with arms incomplete and showing the armatures, plaster.
Abstract of two standing figures
Tall abstract, wood
Curved, with two pairs of eyes or buttons, shapes on the back, 15cm wide, 1959.
Sitting figure with a column of shapes in green ink, left, 13 cm tall, 1959.
Abstract sculpture, 1958 onwards in UK
Title Material and largest dimension (centimetres)
Untitled Plaster 1959
Untitled Plaster, also in wax, 26.7 1959.
Untitled Plaster, 21.6 1960.
Untitled Plaster, 1960, 2 editions cast in bronze 1961 & 1966.
Exhibited Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1968 and 1969
‘Quartros’ Plaster, 33 1960.
A bronze of above, 1961
Exhibited in ‘Unpopular Culture’ a touring exhibition 2008/2010 of examples
from The Arts Council collection.
Untitled Plaster, 30.5 1960
Untitled Plaster, 28 1960
One bronze cast of above 1961
Untitled Plaster maquette for the above, 15.25.
Untitled Oregon pine, 10½ 1960
Untitled Beach, 12½ 1960
Untitled Plaster, 7½ 1960
Untitled Plaster, 15½ 1960
‘Cion’ Beech, 17 1961
Exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 1961
Published in ‘Wood’ Magazine, June 1961
Published in ‘Handmade Woodwork of the Twentieth Century’ 1962
Untitled Beech, 12 1961
‘Bafra’ Beech, 12 1961
Exhibited in Heal’s Gallery, London, 1963
Exhibited in Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1968
Untitled Plaster, 10½ 1961
‘Terrene’ Plaster, 16 1961
Exhibited in ’50 years of Sculpture’, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1965
Exh. in ‘Recent British Sculpture, Farnham, 1966
Untitled Plaster, 14½ 1961
Untitled Plaster, 14 1961
Untitled Plaster,
24 1961
Untitled Plaster, 16 1961
Untitled Plaster, 40 1961
Untitled Plaster, 9½ 1961
Untitled Plaster, 10¾ 1961
Untitled Plaster, 16 1961
Untitled Beech, 14 1962
‘Knur’ Beech, 24½ 1962
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists Working Abroad’, Folkstone, 1963,
in Stadel’sches Funstinstitut, Frankfurt, 1963 and in Women and the Arts,
Northampton Arts Association, 1965
‘Rockway’ Beech, 22 1962
Exhibited in the New English Art Club Summer ’62, RCA Gallery, London
‘Mundic’ Oak, 22 1962
Untitled Plaster, 11½ 1962
Untitled Plaster, 12 1962
Untitled Laminated pine, 8 1962
Untitled Laminated pine, 9 1962
‘Staith’ Walnut, 11 1962
Exhibited in Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1969
‘Cyrun’ Laminated beech, 15 1962
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists Working Abroad’, Folkstone, 1963
and Stadel’sches Funstinstitut, Frankfurt, 1963
‘Mendip’ Plaster, 22½ 1962
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists Working Abroad’, Folkstone, 1963
Untitled Walnut, 12 1962
Untitled Plaster, 21 1962
Untitled Plaster, 24 1963
Untitled Plaster, 15 1963
Untitled Laminated pine, 6 1963
Untitled Plaster, 18 1963
‘Parados’ Plaster, 42 1963
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists Working Abroad’, Folkstone, 1963
Untitled Steel resin over polystyrene, 16½ 1963
Untitled Bronze resin over polystyrene, 19 1963
Untitled Bronze resin over polystyrene,14½ 1963
Untitled Bronze resin over polystyrene, 6 1963
Untitled Bronze resin over polystyrene, 4 1963
Untitled Bronze resin over polystyrene, 18 1963
Cubes 1964 to 1968
The following are all white abstract sculptures set within a coloured cube. In all cases, the material is resin coated polystyrene. Cube size is 12 inches (30.5 cm) unless otherwise stated.
Untitled ‘Conker’ colour, 1964
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Also exhibited in ‘Experiment in Form, Grosvenor Gallery, 1966
Also exhibited in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Untitled Bright, clear, rich orange, 1964
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Untitled Gingery brown/yellow 1965
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Also
exh. in ‘Chromatic Sculpture (Arts Council), Cambridge and
Harrowgate, 1966
Untitled Pale, clear, yellow, 1965
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Untitled Bruised blue/brown, 1965
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Untitled Pale, light blue, 1965
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Untitled deep dark, yellow, 1965
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Also exhibited in ‘Experiment in Form, Grosvenor Gallery, 1966 and
in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Untitled Bright, pale, yellow green, 1965
Exh. in the Second Commonwealth Bienniel of Abstract Art, Commonwealth Inst. 1965
Also exhibited in ‘Experiment in Form, Grosvenor Gallery, 1966,
Also in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Also in British Pavilion, Expo ’67, Montreal *
* All six cubes were returned damaged from Expo, five beyond repair.
Untitled Pale bright green & yellow, 1965
Exhibited in ‘Experiment in Form, Grosvenor Gallery, 1966
Also in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Untitled pale grey/green, 1965
Exhibited in ‘Experiment in Form, Grosvenor Gallery, 1966
Also in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Untitled Blue and dark sea blue, 1966
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists, Peckham. 1966
Also in ‘Chromatic Sculpture (Arts Council), Cambridge and Harrowgate, 1966
Also in British Pavilion, Expo ’67, Montreal *
Also in Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1968 and 1969
Untitled Purple, flecks of red through, 12 1966
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists, Peckham. 1966
Also in ‘Chromatic Sculpture (Arts Council), Cambridge and Harrowgate, 1966
Also in Christmas Show, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1966
Also in Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1969
Untitled deep green, bluish tinge, 1966
Exhibited in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Also in Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1968 and 1969
Untitled Bright clear yellow, 1966
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists, Peckham. 1966
Also in ‘Chromatic Sculpture (Arts Council), Cambridge and Harrowgate, 1966
Untitled Bright clearish purple, 1966
Exhibited in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Also in Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1968 and 1969
Untitled Rich orange flecked with green & brown, 1966
Exhibited in ‘Australian Artists, Peckham. 1966,
Also in ‘Chromatic Sculpture (Arts Council), Cambridge and Harrowgate, 1966
Also Christmas Show, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1966
Also in British Pavilion, Expo ’67, Montreal *
Untitled Rich chocolate and molasses brown, 1966
Exhibited in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Also in British
Pavilion, Expo ’67, Montreal, *
Untitled Clear greeny grey, 1966
Exhibited in ‘Experiment in Form, Grosvenor Gallery, 1966,
Also in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Also in British Pavilion, Expo ’67, Montreal *
Also in Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1969
Untitled Clear orange, no flecking, 1966
Exhibited in ‘New Dimensions’, Hampstead Artists Council, 1966
Also in British Pavilion, Expo ’67, Montreal *
‘Cube 20’ Purple, flecked yellow, orange, blue, 46 cm 1967
Exhibited in Camden Arts Centre Members Show, 1967
‘Rockway 2’ Soft brownish orange, 46 cm 1967
Exhibited in ‘Artists of the Gallery, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1967
‘Oregon’ Bright orange pink, 46 cm 1967
Exhibited in ‘Artists of the Gallery, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1967
Also in Camden Arts Centre Open Air Show, Bedford College, 1967
‘Billow’ Orange, 46 cm 1967
Exhibited in Camden Arts Centre Open Air Show, Bedford College, 1967
‘Colorado’ Orange/tan, 15.25 cm 1968?
* All these six cubes were returned damaged from Expo, five beyond repair.
Wooden cubes
Small cube with inserted transparent glass ball, wood 1968
Untitled Made of mahogany, 10 cm 1968
Miscellaneous items made in UK
White, slightly stylised, sitting dove, plaster, 19 cm, 1960 or 1961.
Standing figure, wire, 7 inches, before 1965.
Buddha Charlie’ a seated figure, wire, 6.4 cm, excluding base, before 1965
Scorpion, wire, about 7.5 cm, before 1965
Eight small sculpture figures for Brandywine Productions for film Women in Love. 1968
Three further figures for ditto, 1968
Exhibitions - Sculpture in mixed shows
Australia
‘Art of Living’, Bathurst NSW, 1958
‘Small sculpture for the home’, Society of Sculptors, Sydney, 1958
Early work of Meg Rutherford, Hayloft Gallery, Bathurst, Australia, 1969
UK and other overseas.
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition,1961
New English Arts Club,1962
‘Australian Artists Working Abroad’,
- New Metropole Arts Centre, Folkestone 1963.
- Städel’sches Kunstinstitut, Frankurt am Main 1963.
Heal’s Art Gallery,1963
‘50 Years of Sculpture’, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1965
‘Women and the Arts’ Northampton Arts Association, 1965
Commonwealth Biennial of Abstract Art, 1965
Meg went onto tape for Australian Radio for this exhibition.
Heal’s Art Gallery.
‘Experiment in Form’, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1966
‘Recent British Sculpture’ (Contemporary Arts Society) Farnham, 1966
‘Chromatic Sculpture’ (Arts Council of Great Britain), Cambridge and Harrogate, 1966
‘New Dimensions’, Camden Arts Centre, London, 1966
‘Australian Artists’ South London Art Gallery, 1966
Christmas Show, Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1966
Members Show, Camden Arts Centre, London, 1967
‘Artists of the Gallery’ Grosvenor Gallery, London, 1967
‘Open Air Sculpture’ Hampstead Artists Council, in Bedford College Gardens, London, 1967
EXPO ’67, Montreal. Canada, in the ‘Britain Today’ Pavilion
Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1968.
Contemporary Group show, Cross Keys Gallery, Beaconsfield, 1969
‘Unpopular Culture’, Arts Council of Great Britain, touring to nine provincial cities
and towns in UK, 2008 - 2010.