Description
An Original 6 foot tall & 6 foot wide Still Life Floral Oil Painting by Vicki Wilber | Wonderful Composition entitled “Floral Series Sunflowers” | Oil on Canvas with wax rub mixed media | Hand Signed by Artist on Lower Right | Housed in Gold Ornate Carved Wood Frame | Dimensions: Very Large – With Frame 74.5″ x 74.5″ inches (6.2′ ft x 6.2′ ft) and Image Only 60″ x 60″ inches (5 ft x 5 ft). About the Artist: Vicki Wilber Artist - “When I am 80, 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 American parents who worked in the U.S. Embassy 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 Vietnamese culture, she retained her sense of adventure and combined that with her love of art. The older of two children, Vicki was told by her mother that when she was about two, she would lay on the floor and scribble on a piece of paper. The scribbling evolved, and when 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 University because it had a more diverse art program. Vicki blossomed in this environment and tried as many things as she could. She explored different mediums and was into fabric design for a while. She had her own business and sold hand-painted sweatshirts and 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 still remains her strong suit, was calling 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 CNN 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 B.F.A. True to her nature, she sought out another job. This time, she worked for an advertising agency 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 locales 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 RFA Decor, and it was exactly what she needed. Vicki loved her relationship with the company and says her painting style evolved tremendously since working there because of the input she got. She remained with RFA Decor for over five years and says it was 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, and 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, then also worked for RFA Decor and is as prolific and as talented a painter as his wife. They collaborate on their work, and even produced a beautiful little girl. She comes to visit the studio and sometimes paints with her mom and dad. Inspiration for her art comes from a happy place, and she feels that that is apparent in her art, which may be abstract or floral, including huge murals. In the future, she would like to create 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 80. Attributed to: rfadecor.com
