Remembering Faith Ratner
Bio
Born in Brooklyn, New York on May 26, 1938, Faith Beverly Tasman was raised by her loving parents Miriam and Hyman 'Whitey". A life long lover of art, Faith graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. She and Dr. Steven Ratner, DDS, wed on June 28, 1959. The photo of Faith is from her wedding night. Faith and Steven Ratner lived in Brooklyn, New York and started a family of two boys, Howard and Craig. After moving to Staten Island in 1966 and raising her children, Faith returned to school to receive her Master's degree in Education from the College of Staten Island. Faith became a strong proponent and counselor of the College of Staten Island's Literacy Program for fourteen years.
The earliest painting of her collection dates to 1968. Faith's preferred method of painting was watercolor and acrylics. She learned many of her techniques from classes at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. She would paint from memory, scenes and landscapes from travels with Steve. Her light brush stroke and effusive use of color shows throughout her work. Her love for art was not only through painting but curating and collecting as well. Anyone who has visited Faith and Steve understands the immense pleasure she took in carefully selecting art to fill the walls and nooks of their home. Faith's last piece is dated in 2013, the year she passed, and it is her most colorful and evocative work - showing her true passion for life and art. Her artwork spans from 1968 - 2013 and can be enjoyed in chronological order. We hope that you will celebrate and appreciate her passion for art in the Gallery section.
If Faith has touched your life in any way, or if seeing her paintings has evoked some emotion or story of your own, please share with us in the Memories section.
FAQ
Why is there a song on the Gallery page?
The piece on the Gallery page is a tribute in Faith's memory entitled Foi, which translates from French to Faith. Foi is a solo acoustic guitar piece written by her grandson, Zach Ratner. It was written and recorded in her memory, as it was the last piece he got to play for her.
Can I share photos I have along with a memory?
Absolutely - please send all photos to rememberingfaith@gmail.com along with your memory and we will share that for you.
Can I share Faith's artwork?
Please feel free to share and celebrate Faith's art. RememberingFaith.com uses an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Can I purchase one of Faith's paintings?
High quality digital reproductions of Faith's work are available via request - prints, canvas prints and framed prints can be requested. All proceeds of Faith's paintings will go directly to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, dedicated to continuing the fight against cancer. For all order inquiries please contact: rememberingfaith@gmail.com