Miska

Original Acrylic Paintings

Biography

Miska lives and paints out of her home/studio in Washington State. People often ask Miska the origins of her name. Miska is a child of immigrants of German Russian, and Yugoslavian heritage. Her father called her Missingka, and Miska, an endearment for "little miss" which was translated to "Missy" when she entered the school system. However, Miska's name given at birth is Emily Salemann.

Miska attended the University of Washington Art School but is primarily a self taught painter, studying the works of the great modern masters daily. In 1998, she left a career as a real estate broker in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands to pursue a life as a full-time artist in the area which she was raised. Miska has been incredibly successful. Her paintings are colorful and expressive, and her figures, often young children are also endearing. Miska's icons of the Madonna have become collector items for the catholic community.

Miska is often told her paintings are very "Picasso like", and she replies that she feels her paintings are "happier" and her figures more recognizable. She uses gold, bronze, copper and pearl tones in her work which give them an amazing reflective quality.