Although he has drawn and painted since childhood, Mike Koloski acquired his formal training gradually in parallel with other careers as a Coast Guard officer, civil engineer, and teacher. While specializing in engineering for the Coast Guard, he studied art at the University of Maryland; the Corcoran School, Washington, DC; the Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia; and the University of Alaska.  
    After retiring from the Coast Guard in 1985, Koloski continued his art training at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, finally earning his degree in painting from the University of Alaska Southeast in 1989.
    Because he loves the process of painting, he works primarily in oils. He feels the "working" of the paint allows for a richness in the finished piece through the interaction between paint and surface. 
    Koloski's work has appeared in individual and group shows throughout Alaska and Oregon. He resides in Enterprise, Oregon surrounded by the beauty of the Wallowa Mountains and its rivers and valleys.  Mike is represented by Wallowa Valley Fine Fiber & Art at their Sheep Shed Gallery, 207 North Main St, Joseph, Oregon.