Melissa Miller Bio

I was born in Des Moines, Iowa to a family of artists. My grandfather, Frank Miller, Sr., was an illustrator for the Kansas City Star for 40 years, when artists were sent out to sketch events rather than photographers to photograph them. He developed a loyal local following. My parents met at the Kansas City Art Institute. Following college, my mother worked as a fashion illustrator for Harzfelds Department Store in Kansas City, my father was sent to Korea.
Upon his return from Korea, they moved to Des Moines where my father assumed position of front page editorial cartoonist for the Des Moines Register. He won a Pulitzer prize in 1963 for his anti-war work. Like his father, he developed a loyal and admiring local following. He died suddenly at the age of 57 in 1984.		My mother worked with various art techniques until hitting on her passion, batik
My husband, Mark is a Public Defender; we have a son named Avery, now 13 years old, who enjoys reading, science, playing rock guitar and listening to music.

	My sister, Mindy Miller, is an artist living a life of creative simplicity in the splendor of Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

		I worked for the Iowa Attorney General's office for 17 years as an Investigator in the Victims of Violent Crime unit before leaving to pursue my passion. I learned the art of Pique Assiette from the Book, "Making Bits and Pieces Mosaics", by Storey Publishing, written by Marlene Hurley Marshall. After developing my skill and creating some additional techniques, I was able to work at my craft on a full-time basis. In my spare time, I love to read books about neuropsychology, creativity, anthropology, and biology. I'm also studying HTML/CSS web site design.