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Bio

"When I am eighty, I want to be able to say I did everything I ever wanted to do," says Vicki Wilber. An artist and a free spirit, Vicki has lived her life being true to herself and has never been afraid to make a change, especially when things were going very well.

Born in Saigon, Vietnam to her American parents who worked in the U.S. Embassy in the State Department, Vicki, started her life in an exotic place that seemed to portend she would follow a road less traveled. Although her family moved back to Michigan before she was old enough to be influenced by the culture, she has retained her sense of adventure and combined that with her love of art.

The older of two children, Vicki's mother tells her that when she was about two, she would lay on the floor and scribble on a piece of paper. The scribbling evolved, and as she went to school, she received recognition for her many art projects. Her Dad liked to draw, and she had Grandmothers and Aunts who were interested in the arts, but none to the extent that she is. By the time, she was in high-school, she realized that one of the loves of her life was art. An art instructor was a mentor to her and offered a great deal of encouragement, but Vicki did not want to focus only in one area at such a young age. Snow skiing, which she did every weekend, and managing the swim team were high on her list of priorities too.

After graduation, Vicki went on to the University of Michigan and later transferred to Wayne State because it had a more diverse art program. Vicki blossomed in this environment and tried as many things as she could. She explored many mediums and for a while was in fabric design. She had her own business and sold hand-painted sweatshirts and also hand-painted silk fabrics to designers who had their own trunk shows. It was a wonderful experience, but she was interested in exploring jewelry. So she did. She was into smithing using various metals including gold, silver and pewter. Jewelry was fun, but it didn't allow her time to do a lot of sketching. Drawing, which was and remains her strong suit was calling to her, and she answered. A chance meeting with, Bob Vito, in Detroit who had just started a fledgling cable news station called CNN, allowed her to explore that avenue. She did all of the drawings for them, and had the opportunity to do the illustrations in a particularly high-profile crime trial. She absolutely loved it, and they loved her.

In 1997, Vicki graduated from Wayne State with a BFA. True to her nature, Vicki sought out another job. This time, she worked for an advertising agency and did so for about a year. She was promoted, and although that was rewarding, advertising wasn't what she wanted. Her artistic nature still gnawing at her prompted Vicki not only to change jobs, but locals as well. Moving out West, she lived with friends for a bit and began to acquaint herself with the art scene in her new home.

Using her artistic talents, she found work in mixed media. She loves to paint abstract art and says that this is where her subconscious can dictate her work. She has a lot of knowledge regarding color and instinctively knows what works and what doesn't. Vicki was very successful and demands for her work continued to increase. Eventually burning out, she again opted to make a huge change and became a flight attendant for Delta Airlines. She remained there for five years, but once an artist, always an artist and finally, she could not resist the urge to go back and pick up her brushes.

This time was the charm. Friends in the art world introduced her to Rosenbaum Fine Art, and it was exactly what she needed. Vicki loves her relationship with Rosenbaum and says her painting style has evolved tremendously since working there because of their input. She has been there for over five years and says it is the perfect working environment for her.

So busy painting that she barely had time for a social life, that too suddenly changed. One evening at a jazz club, she saw the man who would later become her husband. It was love at first sight, they both say, although it was several months before they dated.

Vicki needed help at her studio doing physical and technical things so she could devote more time to her artistry. The man who came to apply for the job was the man she had seen earlier at the jazz club; he had been busy trying to figure out a way to meet her and this worked. He fit in very well and continually did more and more. One day, he shocked her by picking up a paintbrush and painting a picture. Even more surprising, he was really good. She had not even known that he could paint.

The end or beginning of this happily ever after story is that they were married. Her husband, Sean Murphy, now also works for Rosenbaum and is as prolific and as talented a painter as is his wife. They collaborate on their work, and even produced a beautiful little girl who is now two years old. She comes to visit the studio and sometimes paints with her mom and dad.

Because of her daughter, Vicki currently paints with all water based mediums that will clean up with soap and water. Inspiration for her art comes from a happy place, and she feels that is apparent in her art, which may be abstract, florals, or even huge murals. In the future, she would like to do wallpaper and linens. She loves the life she and her husband have created together, much of which is spent collaborating and working on their art. Since change is not even slightly daunting to her, we can expect a multitude of exciting creations, in directions that she probably has not even yet considered, to spring from this very talented woman. She will not be disappointed when she is eighty.

VICKIWILBER