By means of figure-ground ambiguities and enigmatic images she seeks to baffle the viewers' eyes with visual games,  presenting the cerebral pleasure of seeing two things simultaneously, or seeing familiar images in new settings.

Rothwell was first known for her series of etchings using chess imagery and hidden chess positions. This series was featured in a cover story in Chess Life magazine in March 1979. In her later series, Art History Mysteries, Mad Meg Amok, and Inklings, she has borrowed familiar images from famous artists of the past and arranged them in new settings, forming the basis of an art history game.

Although the subject matter of Rothwell's etchings is playful, her involvement in the process by which they are executed is a devout labor. She employs traditional techniques of etching and aquatint, as well as more experimental methods. Her color etchings are multiple-plate works, each plate carrying a separate color.

Rothwell Graphic Studio is located in Auburn, California, where the artist makes all of her own plates, and does all of her own printing. All prints are hand-inked and pulled on her hand-turned Sturges Etching Press, on 100% rag paper in documented editions. A documentation certificate accompanies each etching. No second editions will be printed, and all plates are permanently effaced when the edition is fully printed.

Rothwell's work has been shown in competitive juried national and international exhibits in 10 States.  Her etchings are in the permanent collections of  The Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA; The Newberry Library, Chicago, IL; West Valley Art Museum, Surprise, AZ; and Brand Art Center, Glendale, CA.  For a more complete Biography see "Who's Who in America" 2001 to 2005 editions.