Ruth Nixon Houseman graduated from Eastern Nazarene College in Massachusetts and taught elementary education for 20 years. She is married and has twin daughters and four grandchildren. She began painting in 2011. Since then she has attend a weekly acrylics class, and a weekly drawing class at the Beazley Senior Center, and has attended  Paint 4 Fun through the Chesapeake Senior Program with Parks and Recreation.  Ruth also attended several drawing and watercolor classes at Tidewater Community College. She is a past President of Southside Artist’s Association in Chesapeake, Virginia.