Painting is my passion and joy, filling an inner need to produce something of beauty. My paintings are an extension of the way I connect emotionally with nature. Painting  from life gives me the opportunity to see the nuances of color and light and a sense of the location. 

I am especially drawn to landscapes and I attempt to capture the essence of what I feel and see whether it be the mountains or the deserts. I especially love the mountains as they revive my spirit with their might and power. My current body of work is mainly of mountains using Psalm 121 as the theme. It stirs my heart. 

Whether I use pastel or oil, large painting or small field study, I lose myself in the process of painting. My paintings begin with large abstract shapes. As the painting develops, these shapes begin to take on recognizable forms. I use a limited palette in oil mixing only primary colors and white to get the preferred color. For pastel works, I use a limited number of colors. Starting with darks, I move toward the light seeking harmony and peace.

Texas based landscape artist, Caroline Ratliff, has developed her painting skills under the instruction of many prominent American pastel and oil painters, including Albert Handel, Matt Smith, and Scott Christensen.

Caroline says, "Happiness is being an artist."