Vicki was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. She attended Wichita State University her freshman year, then transferred to the University of Kansas. There she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design. She was an active member of Alpha Gamma Delta women’s fraternity. At the University of Kansas she met her husband, James Morley. After graduation they married and moved to Bogotá, Colombia, where they both were Peace Corps volunteers for two years. As a Peace Corps’ volunteer, Vicki developed Spanish language skills, and was also able to use her art education in a number of ways. She helped the Colombian Conservation Agency by doing pen and ink illustrations for a book they were publishing, and she created numerous visual aids for teachers and other volunteers. Her biggest project was designing a store interior, which promoted sales of artesanias made by the campesinos from remote parts of the country. After the Peace Corps, Vicki and Jim remained in Colombia while Jim worked for the Organization of American States.

The year 1978 brought Vicki and Jim back to the United States where they settled in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, so Jim could join his father in business. Vicki devoted herself to raising their two daughters, Melissa and Nicole, and becoming involved in their schools as a volunteer art teacher, “picture lady” and generally being available whenever an “artsy” was needed.

 By 1990, Vicki was ready to continue her art education through classes and workshops in watercolor and oil painting. She has been an active member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America (TWSA) since 1993, where she has served on the TWSA Board in a variety of capacities, including President of TWSA from 2003-2005.

Besides painting, Vicki enjoys spending time with her four grandsons.  She and Jim love traveling, and have visited most of Europe and South America as well as parts of Africa, Central America, Australia and New Zealand. One particular highlight of Vicki’s art career was to have the opportunity to spend a week with colleagues painting in Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France.

 ART EDUCATION

BFA degree in Interior Design, University of Kansas.

Studied with nationally known artists Don Andrews, Linda Daly Baker,  Robin Berry, Joseph Bohler, Gerald Brommer, Ratindra Das, Nita Engle, Frank Francese, Tom Francesconi, Mark Mehaffey, Ted Nuttall, John Salminen, Mel Stabin, Stephen Quiller, Catherine Wilson Smith and Donna Jill Witty.

 MEMBERSHIPS

Life Member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America:

Life/Signature member of the Kentucky Watercolor Society

Signature member of the Florida Watercolor Society

American Watercolor Society

National Watercolor Society

Watercolor West

Central Florida Watercolor Society

Three Lakes Center for the Arts

HONORS

2007 – Awarded Signature Status in Kentucky WC Society

2017 – Best of Show, Art on Main, Three Lakes, WI

2017 – Illustrator for the Book “Breathing in Three Lakes”

2020 – Best of Show, Central Florida WC Society Annual Show

2021 – Awarded Signature Status in Florida WC Society

2021 – Awarded the Mary Ann Hollars Memorial, Plein Air Magazine & Streamline Publishing and Golden Colors Award for the 50th Florida WC Society Annual Exhibition

2023 – Awarded Signature Status with Watercolor West