Simpson was born in Newcastle, the daughter of Alister and Ada Alison.[1] She studied art under Elizabeth and Stanhope Forbes at their school, the Forbes School of Painting, in Newlyn during 1911 and 1912.[2] In Newlyn, Simpson lodged with her sister Rose and together they led a full social life.[3] During this time Simpson met the artist Charles Walter Simpson and the couple married in 1913.[4] Their daughter, Leonora, was born the following year in Newlyn.[5] Subsequently, the family lived in different locations throughout Cornwall, including at Carbis Bay, Lamorna and at St Ives.[1] A joint show of their work was held in 1919.[6] In St Ives, starting in 1920 the Simpsons ran their own painting school, the Shore Studio, with Ruth specializing in teaching portrait painting.[3][6][4] In 1924, they closed the painting school and moved to London but returned to Cornwall in 1931 and settled in Lamorna where they remained until 1945, when they moved to Penzance.[1] It appears Ruth Simpson did little, if any, painting after returning from London and she died at Redruth in 1964 and is buried in the cemetery at Paul.[1]
As an artist, Ruth Simpson largely focused on portrait painting. She developed a distinct style of portraiture, working with colour in a modern style and often using bright coloured backgrounds.[5] She had three works in group shows hosted by the Society of Women Artists.[4] She painted several portraits of women artists who were based in Cornwall, including Ella Naper and Gertrude Harvey.[1] Her three-quarter length Portrait of an Officer is in the collection of the Imperial War Museum while her portrait of Frank Ver Beck is held by the Royal Cornwall Museum.[1][7] Works by Simpson were included in the exhibition Painting in Newlyn 1880–1930 held at the Barbican Centre during 1985.[8]
