Barbara Rutherford was born in Texas and raised in Southern California, rendering portraits in pencil and charcoal since the age of 6. Barbara attempted painting for the first time in 1996, exploring a variety of mediums and subjects while simultaneously discovering a love for travel. In 1998 a trip to New York inspired her first cityscape rendered in oil pastel, commencing the “Cities in Dust” series which now includes more than 60 paintings of cityscapes throughout the world. Barbara begins each cityscape by sketching on paper and then transferring the design to canvas, painting exclusively with either Sennelier Oil Pastels or Lascaux Acrylics.
A businesswoman, educator, education administrator, volunteer program manager, and survey co-author, Barbara holds a B.A. in Management from The University of Phoenix, a Masters in Business Administration from South University, and certifications in Bereavement Support Group Facilitation, Trauma Informed Care, and Volunteer Administration. Taking
advantage of both personal and professional opportunities, Barbara has traveled through 16 countries and 28 of the 50 United States. She uses each excursion to inform both her subject matter and artistic style. Barbara has successfully completed more than 30 commissions and is available for consultation to prospective patrons.
In 2013, Barbara joined the management team at Kaiser Permanente. She lends her creative and management expertise to develop the volunteers and staff that serve thousands of members and their support systems throughout San Diego County. In 2018, Barbara co-designed and coordinated hundreds of volunteers in the painting of one of the longest murals in San Diego County at Fiesta Island. In 2025, Barbara has co-authored the first national benchmark study on healthcare volunteer professionals and programs, distributed and analyzed by The Beryl Institute.
If you wish to purchase or commission art, explore healthcare volunteer opportunities throughout Southern California, or participate in the national benchmark survey, please contact Barbara for more details.
