She studied Philosophy and Politics at Oxford University (New College) and Art at Central St. Martins (London), after which she worked, amongst other jobs, as a painting assistant to Damien Hirst.

She ran her own graphic design business Swerlybird for two years before setting up the illustration licensing company Last Lemon with her husband, Ralph Lazar.

Glass Cathedrals, first introduced at an art exhibition at Spitalfields in London's East End in 2008, are glass-fronted boxes that feature scenes with hand-painted and customized miniature figures.

[3] Swerling is co-creator (partnering with her husband Ralph Lazar) of the cartoon characters Happiness Is, Harold's Planet, Vimrod and The Brainwaves.

Harold's Planet and Vimrod sell as greetings cards in the millions,[4] and have been published by Penguin Books, HarperCollins and Andrews McMeel.