Biography

Vicky’s love affair with nature started at just 6 months of age when she made a mad dash for Lake Superior. Her parents scooped her up as tiny fingers touched the water. That exhilaration has stayed with her a lifetime. She has traveled to many different countries, but it was excursions to Central America and Asia that Vicky became especially passionate about tropical rainforests. She began painting botanical watercolors to raise awareness about fragile ecosystems and has provided artwork for Conservation Organizations in Mexico, Peru, Bolivia and Canada.
In 2017, she completed a large multi-panel project entitled Duets: The Dance of Symbiotic Relationships, an exhibition highlighting mutually beneficial interactions between plants and various birds, animals and insects. This project, and subsequent book, is dedicated to a better appreciation and understanding of the world of plants and to highlight the importance and interconnectedness of tropical ecosystems to the health of our planet. The panels are now part of the Thunder Bay Centennial Conservatory's permanent collection.
Most recently, Vicky is launching a new project entitled, "Metro Vancouver Naturehood Mandalas", made possible through the generous support of the 2022 Artist's for Conservation Rob and Sharon Butler Art Explorer's Grant (read more). She has also just finished a book entitled "Exploring Vancouver Naturehoods: An Artist's Sketchbook Journal", that takes a closer look at nature in local parks and neighbourhoods, to be released in spring, 2023.
Vicky’s preferred medium is watercolour, occasionally using metalpoint and mixed media. Her work has been part of numerous international juried exhibitions, including Focus on Nature XIV at the New York State Museum and the Botanical Art Worldwide exhibition at the Ottawa Museum of Nature. She is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the American Society of Botanical Artists, Nature Vancouver and is an AFC signature member.
“As an artist for conservation, I am always delighted and humbled by the stories I find in nature. My goal is to share those stories with a wider audience. When we fall in love with something, we are more likely to take action to protect it. Art, whether creating it or appreciating it, is a powerful way to do that!”
The sale of my artwork helps to support the conservation and education efforts of various organizations around the world including: the Canadian Wildlife Federation, the World Parrot Trust, the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation, and the Nature Conservancy.
- 2020 Artists for Conservation: International Exhibit of Nature in Art Tour. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona
- 2019 Artists for Conservation: International Exhibit of Nature in Art Tour. Lanwan Art Museum in Qingdao City, China
- 2019 Artists for Conservation: International Exhibit of Nature in Art Show. VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- 2019 Artist in Residence, Artists for Conservation: Maplewood Flats Conservation Area, North Vancouver, British Columbia.
- 2019 Artists for Conservation: Pacific Coast Portraits Group Show. Maplewood Flats Conservation Area, North Vancouver, British Columbia.
- 2019 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators: Annual Juried Group Show. Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia.
- 2018 ‘Duets: The Dance of Symbiotic Relationships’, Book Published, Vancouver, British Columbia
- 2018 Artists for Conservation: Annual Juried Group Show. Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- 2018 Silent Skies: Artists for Conservation Super-mural. Vancouver Convention Centre in partnership with the 27th International Ornithological Congress, Vancouver, British Columbia
- 2018 Worldwide Botanical Art Exhibition | Art of the Plant. Canadian Natural History Museum, Ottawa, Ontario
- 2018 Accepted as a Signature Member, Artists for Conservation
- 2017 ‘Duets: The Dance of Symbiotic Relationships’, Solo Exhibition. Interpretive display panels, Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver, British Columbia
- 2017 ‘Duets: The Dance of Symbiotic Relationships’, Solo Exhibition. Original watercolors exhibition, VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia
- 2017 Bioimages, Biocommunications Association: Juried Group Show, Portland, Oregon
- 2017 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators: Juried Group Show. Asheville, North Carolina
- 2016 Anne Ophelia Dowden Art and Education Grant. American Society of Botanical Artists
- 2016 Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History / New York State Museum. Juried Group Exhibition, ‘Focus on Nature XIV’. New York, New York
- 2016 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. Juried Group Show, Santa Cruz, California
- 2016 Bioimages, Biocommunications Association. Juried Group Show, New Orleans, Louisiana
- 2014 Bioimages, Biocommunications Association: Juried Group Show, Rochester, Minnesota
- 2014 Bioimages, Biocommunications Association: Award of Merit
- 2013 City of Vancouver Heritage Award of Honour. In recognition of advocacy and successful efforts to save and revitalize the Bloedel Conservatory