Ruth Fitton ROI

Ruth has been fascinated by portraiture since her mid-teens; imagination sparked by humanity, facial expression, and body language. She taught herself to paint in oils while also studying for a BA in Music, and on graduating began painting full-time.

13 Years later, Ruth’s portraits hang in homes, businesses and venerable institutions across the globe. In 2023 she was elected as both a full member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and a Signature Status member of the Portrait Society of America. She is celebrated for her empathetic characterisations, and for the strong narrative element she brings to her paintings.

Ruth is passionate about painting from life – she is drawn to the organic experience of capturing her immediate reality in paint. This passion is balanced by a keen curiosity regarding texture, layers, and edges. Quick, immersive live studies are generally followed by extensive studio work.

Image: Ruth Fitton ROI, Turn another Page

Selected Awards

Ruth is an award-winning contemporary portrait and figurative painter, recognised internationally for her work in prestigious painting and portrait competitions. Recent achievements include being a finalist in the New Salem International Painting Competition 2026, receiving the People’s Choice Award at the Portrait Society of America International Competition in 2023, and Certificates of Excellence in 2025 and 2026. Ruth's work has also received 7th Place for Non-Commissioned Portrait and 8th Place for Commissioned Portrait in the Portrait Society of America Members Competition. 

At the Art Renewal Center International Salon, Ruth was awarded 2nd Place in Figurative Painting in both 2024 and 2025, as well as a Purchase Award in 2020. Further recognition includes being shortlisted and exhibiting in the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024, winning the De Laszlo Foundation Award at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 2026, and receiving Highly Commended recognition in 2024. Additional awards include the Stanley Grimm Memorial Award from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 2024, the Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award in 2020 and 2021, the ING Discerning Eye Portrait Award 2024, and Winner of the Raw Umber Paint Off 2024. 

Image: Ruth Fitton ROI, What in the World (Winner of 'The de Laszlo Foundation Award 2026)