Lois Gourley earned a BA in fine art and a secondary teaching credential from Biola College in La Mirada, California in the early 1970s. She worked as an English and art teacher for many years before retiring in 2006. At that point, she pursued her dream of serving with a non-profit organization, working in various roles in their publishing department. After a long hiatus from doing personal artwork Lois had the pleasure of illustrating Hope for Mae, which was written by Caitlin Collins..