Ruth Swain

Ruth Swain, an award winning artist based in Oxfordshire, works in oil, watercolour and pastel and loves to paint from life.

Ruth worked in London, Hong Kong and New York as an advertising art director and illustrator. She brings this influence into her paintings by using visual ideas, and twists to her work, (portraiture, figure painting and still life).

Ruth is a member of the Oxford Art Society, she was also long-listed for the Jackson’s art prize 2021, shortlisted for Signature Art prize, runner up in Holly Bush Women Painters Prize and her painting 'Hung out to dry' was exhibited in the Mall Galleries in the Royal institute of Watercolour artists in May 2021.

Ruth exhibited twice at the Cloister gallery in Oxford in May and September 2021 and her painting ‘Pressing matters’ was selected by Kathleen Soriano to be shown in Ronagallery exhibition ‘For women by women’. She has also been shortlisted for the signature art prize 2021.

Previously Ruth won the Readers Award in Artists and Illustrators magazine (Artist of the year 2017) and has exhibited in exhibitions such as the RBSA open exhibition 2017, OAS open in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and The RIPW exhibition 2019. Her painting ‘Essentials’ was on show in the Ashmoleum M...

Ruth completed a foundation course in art and design at Oxford Polytechnic (now Oxford Brookes). She graduated with a BA (hons) degree in Graphic Design at Bristol Polytechnic (now UWE).

Ruth has previously worked in advertising as an art director, an illustrator and did covers for Mills and Boon amongst others.

More recently Ruth went back to study and completed a two year degree in Contemporary Portraiture at the Art Academy London. She graduated in January 2021 in the Tate Modern, London.

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