Artist, Rosie Ratigan



Rosie was born in Minnesota, where she lived, studied, and worked until 1980, when she moved to Lander, Wyoming.  Her interests in horseback riding, running, skiing, and other outdoor activities made Wyoming the perfect place to live and pursue her dreams.

While raising their two children Paul and Katherine, with her husband Dan Ratigan, M.D., they owned and operated Black Mountain Guest Ranch and Heavenly Everlastings an antique and dried flower business from 1993 to 2005.  Rosie enjoyed designing unique dried flower arrangements and taught bi-monthly flower arranging classes at Heavenly Everlastings for twelve years.  After selling Heavenly Everlastings in 2005, she was employed four years by Wyoming Windows and Cabinets in Lander as an interior designer in the flooring and window treatment department.  She retired from Wyoming Windows and Cabinets in 2011 and started painting full time.

Rosie began painting with watercolors and in 2011 made the leap to oil paints.  A love and interest in birds, led her to painting native and migratory birds of the West.  Inspired by the beautiful Rocky Mountain flora and fauna, she added colorful landscapes and wildlife to her paintings.

Rosie studied oil paintings under Doris Snyder in Lander from 2012 to 2014 with weekly private art lessons.  She was juried into the Susan Kay Black Foundation workshop in Dubois, Wyoming with instructors including Robert Bateman, Mort Solberg, Greg Beecham, John Ruthven, Jeanne MacKenzie, John Seerey-Lester and many other professional artists.  She also attended several workshops by Tom Lucas, the 2015 Governor's Award recipient, and various classes and workshops at the Lander Art Center.  She continues to challenge herself through art shows, competitions, workshops and classes.

A member of the Lander Art Center Board from 2014 - 2017, she held the position of Board secretary for two years. 
 In 2015 Rosie started her business, "Rosie Ratigan Fine Art".  Rosie is members of Oil Painters of America, Wind River Valley Artists' Guild , Lander Art Center, Alchemy,  ART 321 - Casper Artists' Guild & The Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper, Wyoming.  Her artwork is represented by Alchemy 'an artists' cooperative' in Lander, Wyoming and The Curosity Shoppe in Laramie,  Wyoming.  Rosie believes that in painting what she loves, her heart touches the canvas through her brush.

In 2016, Rosie's oil painting, "Golden Bison", was juried into the Governor's Capital Art Exhibition in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  On February 9, 2017, Rosie was honored at the Wyoming State Museum by Governor Matt Mead and First Lady Carol Mead.  Her oil painting "Golden Bison" was chosen for a purchase award by the five elected officials and representatives from the state agencies.  Golden Bison will join the prestigious collection of art that is part of the permanent art collection of the Wyoming State Museum.  In 2020 after the renovations were completed at the Wyoming State Capital, Golden Bison is hanging in the
office of the Secretary of State.

Rosie continues to challenge herself winning awards in  art exhibitions and competitions.  Below is a list of current and past professional awards.



Professional
Awards

2025
Spirit of Wyoming 2025 Bottle Label Art Contest - 'Moody Blues Heron' - Finalist 


2024

Central Wyoming College - Fremont County Fine Arts Quick Draw/Finish - First Place

Red Desert Audubon Art Show - Third Place

National Museum of Wildlife Art - 'Full Circle' exhibition 

2023

Wyoming Artist's Association - Second place in Pastels 

Exhibizone True Beauty International online group exhibition

2022
National Museum of Wildlife Art - 'Above the Clouds' - Art of the Alpine Show

2020
Red Desert Audubon Show - Third Place

2019
Wyoming Arts Council - Plein Air in the Parks, Sinks Canyon, Lander, Wy - 2nd Place 
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild 70th National Show - Third in Oils and Pastels & Honorable Mention -  mini 
Wyoming Artists' Association - Honorable Mention in Congressional & Governor's Show & Third Place Pastel

2018
Wyoming Arts Council - Plein Air in the Parks, Sinks Canyon, Lander, Wy - Best of Show
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature Show - First Place Pastel
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - National Show - First Place Pastel
Wyoming Artists' Association - President's Award
Wyoming Artists' Association - Pastel - Second Place & Purchase Award
Red Desert Audubon Show - First Place

2017
Governor's Capital Art Exhibition - Purchase Award Winner - permanent collection of Wyoming State Museum
Red Desert Audubon Show - First Place
Wyoming Artists' Association - Water Color & Pastel - Third Place & Honorable Mention
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - National Show - Honorable Mention
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature Show - Honorable Mention

2016
City of Laramie - Grand Hall Art Exhibition - First Place
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature Show - Pastel - First Place
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature Show - Oil - Honorable Mention
Red Desert Audubon Art Show - First Place & People's Choice
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - National Show - Still Life Award 
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - National Show - Acrylic - Second Place
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature - Second Place
Wyoming Artists' Association - Artist's Choice
Wyoming Artists' Association - Acrylic & Pastel - Honorable Mention

2015
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature Show - Pastel - Second Place
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature Show - Oil - Third Place
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - National Show - Pastel - Third Place
Red Desert Audubon Show - Honorable Mention

2014
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - Miniature Show - Pastel - Honorable Mention
Wind River Valley Artists' Guild - National Show - Oil - Second Place
Wyoming Wildlife Federation -  Poster Winner for fence removal project
Wyoming Artists' Association - Congressional & Governor's Show - Honorable Mention
Wyoming Artists' Association - Miniature - Third Place
Wyoming Artists' Association - Themed Show - Honorable Mention

 

 Rosie Ratigan with her daughter, Katherine, awarded first place
for her oil painting 'Roaming the Range' for CWC Fremont County
Quick Finish competition November 9, 2024

 
Rosie painting her bison series in one of her home studios.  



 


















"It seemed like a Good Idea At the Time" exhibition at the Lander Art Center.  
Rosie is pictured with her oil painting of "Thunder" - Bison, which sold at the show.    






Rosie oil painting in one of her home studios at Black Mountain Ranch.  This room offers north light and more space to spread out for her larger canvases.   She is painting "Morning Light" from her sand hill crane series using her smaller oil painting study. Just east of Riverton, Wyoming there are migrating Sand Hill Cranes in the fields and Rosie took  photographs for future paintings.