Biography
Ashwini Bharathula (b.1984) is a representational fine artist specializing in oil painting, currently based in Chandler, AZ.
‘Growing up in India, I LOVED to draw in my spare time. My artistic journey began with sketching Disney characters and figures from Indian mythology.’
Ashwini pursued formal education in the field of Materials Science and Engineering. After completing her Bachelor’s degree at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, she moved to the US in 2005 to pursue her Master’s and PhD at The Ohio State University. A summer painting class during graduate school reignited her love for creating. After getting her PhD, she worked in the semiconductor industry for a few years. ‘Even while working in the corporate world, I had this constant itch to paint.’ With a deep appreciation for both the analytical and the creative, Ashwini eventually left the corporate world to explore the intersection of science and art. She first launched a YouTube channel featuring educational science videos and later collaborated with TED-Ed to create animated short films. During this period, she also deepened her commitment to painting, ultimately making the leap to pursue fine art full-time. ‘The act of creating something realistic and beautiful from scratch brings me immense joy,’ she says.
Her artistic education includes workshops at the Scottsdale Artists’ School and extensive study of foundational texts like Richard Schmid’s Alla Prima. She has studied with renowned artists such as Susan Lyon, Daniel Keys, Suchitra Bhosle, Louis Carr, Todd Casey, Ned Mueller, Adrien Gottlieb, Kathleen Speranza, and Gustavo Ramos. Today, Ashwini is also an instructor at the Scottsdale Artists’ School, sharing her passion and expertise with fellow artists.
AWARDS
BEST OF SHOW at the 2023 WOMEN ARTISTS OF THE WEST 53rd National Exhibition in Newton, KS.
BEST PAINTING by a SIGNATURE ARTIST at 2025 NOAPS Best of America Exhibition.
STILL LIFE AWARD OF DISTINCTION, 2026 Oil Painters of America National Exhibition
AWARD of EXCELLENCE, 2026 Oil Painters of America National Salon
BEST PORTRAIT/FIGURE AWARD, 2026 NOAPS Best of America Small Painting
Exhibition
Finalist, 17th International ARC Salon Competition.
Award of Excellence, NOAPS 2024 Spring Online Exhibition.
Best Technique and Handling award at the 2024 NOAPS Best of
Portraiture Award of Excellence, 2023 America Small Works Exhibition, Santa Fe, NM.
OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA Western Exhibition, Salt Lake City, UT.
Award of Merit at the 2023 NOAPS Best of America National Exhibition,
Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA.
Awarded 2nd Place in the Wet Paint Competition (Studio Category) at the
2023 OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA National Exhibition in Charleston, SC.
BoldBrush February 2023 Competition, Finalist.
BoldBrush January 2023 Competition, awarded 2nd Place.
2022 PORTRAIT SOCIETY OF AMERICA Members Only Competition, Finalist in the Still Life Category.
NOAPS 2022 Best of America National Exhibition, Award of Merit
BoldBrush April 2022 Competition, Awarded Honorable Mention
Awarded 1st place in Oil Painting, People’s Choice Award and First place in
Small Works Category at 2020 THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST Juried Fine
Art Show and Sale, Scottsdale Artists’ School, Scottsdale, AZ.
Awarded ‘Certificate of Merit’ in the Salmagundi Club’s 40th Annual Open
Exhibition in Painting, Sculpture, Graphics and Photography, New York City,
NY.
GALLERIES
Insight Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX.
Settlers West Gallery, Tucson, AZ.
Ballard’s Fine Art, Sheridan, WY.
Santa Fe Trails Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM.
Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ.
