Based on the expressive abstract paintings of Leonor Ratliff, it may be surprising to know that her primary influence is classical masters in realism, primarily Leonardo Davinci. And a Filipino artist named Fernando Amorsolo. Raised in the Philippines, she initially focused on portraits and still life using traditional media.  She met her American husband in the Philippines and moved to Austin, Texas. While raising one daughter she started attending classes on basic painting, using acrylic. They moved back to the Philippines in 1998 and attended classes to learn charcoal, completing several portraits for friends and family. When the family moved to Houston in 2004, she tried other media, painting portraits, landscape and still life in oil. Her interests then shifted to abstract paintings. Her first attempt at abstract painting was a disaster, so she embraced the challenge of experimenting with the more expressive possibilities. Her current paintings are known for their vivid colors in a limited palette, chosen to inspire joy and optimism. The art is a marriage of freedom and formula: the freedom to create from her soul combined with the well-crafted work of art, evident in her self-made wooden panels and complex finishing techniques.

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