Ellis Walter Ruley (December 3, 1882 – January 16, 1959) was an American folk artist and laborer. He began painting in the 1930s at his home in Norwich, Connecticut using house paint on cardboard and Masonite. During his lifetime, Ruley sold his paintings locally and only achieved fame posthumously in the 1990s. Ruley worked almost his entire adult life in the construction trades, and had one daughter from his first marriage. Ruley died in 1959 under ambiguous circumstances. There is controversy surrounding his death, as it is unclear whether he died from an accident or as the result of murder.