❄⛄ Season's greetings from the heart! ⛄❄

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

As the year gently comes to a close, I wanted to pause and simply say "thank you." Your kindness, encouragement, and friendship mean more to me than I can easily put into words. The only reason I am able to spend my days creating and sharing beauty is because of people like you who believe in it and support it.

This season always reminds me that art is not just about color on a wall. It is about connection, memory, joy, and hope. I am deeply grateful that we get to share that belief and walk this creative journey together.

I hope your holidays are filled with warmth, laughter, and meaningful moments with the people you love. I look forward to continuing to add more beauty to the world together in the year ahead.

With gratitude and friendship,

Mike

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

🎁 Forgot a gift and need something now? 🎁

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

💿 Instant Art To Download! 💿

© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

To purchase, please visit: 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt?search_query=download

OOPS! While wrapping gifts, you realize you forgot someone. Or a package was delayed or never arrived. No worries. In just minutes, you can instantly download from over 300 artwork options and print something beautiful at home. Add an image to a frame, create unique gift tags, use it as a virtual background for a holiday gathering, or turn it into a thoughtful card that simply says "Happy Holidays!" No waiting and no shipping stress. Just an instant gift and a small but meaningful way to show someone you care.

To view options, please visit: 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt?search_query=download

With shipping deadlines behind us, we’re hosting the

❄️⛄️ Upstate New York (NY) Last Minute Holiday Art Festival ⛄️❄️

at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/348198535643368

an online celebration where customers can find one-of-a-kind, locally made gifts and pick them up right from the artist.

Let’s make this a joyful, creative, high-energy holiday push for Upstate makers. Come be part of it!

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

💜🌻 What moment would you want to unwrap again and again? 🌻💜

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

💜🌻 Sunflowers and Lavender in Provence 🌻💜

acrylic paint on canvas board

5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm)

202511067

© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

To purchase for your home, please visit:

https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/534467771

Our bikes race up and down the gentle hills of Provence. Everything has a distinct texture, the colors are vibrant, and the perfume in the air is intoxicating. Every twisting road reveals new rows of lavender stretching endlessly under the sun. I will never forget the fields of France.

This little painting is small, simple, and easy to bring into your life. It fits in almost any room and ships securely to your door, ready to brighten your space. No stress and no extra steps. Just color and memory waiting for you.

Art is more than something pretty on a wall. It carries feelings, memories, and a little bit of hope. If this piece speaks to you, it may be because it already belongs with you.

This painting would look best in a small-to-medium space that is red, orange, dark yellow, light green, dark blue, purple, white, black, grey, beige, or wood.

LAST DAY!!!

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?

❄️☃️ LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY ART FESTIVAL ☃️❄️

is here to help you find something truly special just in time. Join us for a festive online marketplace filled with creativity, community, and cheer at: https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtFestival

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

❄⛄❄ Happy holidays! ❄⛄❄

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

Happy holidays!

If this season feels a little packed and a little fast, you are not alone. It is okay to pause, breathe, and give yourself a moment to rest. This time of year always reminds me how important it is to slow down and take in the good things we have created together.

I find myself thinking of you. How lucky it is that people like us cross paths at all. How we share the same desire to bring more beauty into the world and lift each other up when life feels heavier than expected. How we celebrate each other’s wins and stay connected through the quieter seasons too.

Thank you for being you and for bringing so much warmth, curiosity, and kindness into it. I hope you and your loved ones have a peaceful and joyful holiday season.
Questions?

Your Friend,

Mike Kraus

MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

P.S. The  ❄️☃️ Last Minute Holiday Art Festival☃️❄️is happening now with plenty of creative cheer. Join us at the party at: https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtFestival

Last days to ship before the holidays:

Hanukkah Sameach!
Christmas December 20th
Kwanzaa December 20th

📀 Instant Art To Download! 📀

© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

To purchase, please visit: 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt?search_query=download

OOPS!!!  While wrapping gifts you realize you forgot someone.  Or their gift was lost or never arrived by delivery.  No problem.  Download one of 300+ options of artwork and print it for an extra frame around your home.  Or make unique gift tags.  Use them as a virtual background for your online holiday party.  Or use for a thoughtful card to say "Happy Holidays!"  It's an instant gift.  And something to let your loved ones know how much you care.

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

🍁 Do you ever look at a familiar view and wonder what it looked like long ago? 🍁

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

🍁 Autumn-On the Hudson River #604 🍁

pen, ink, and colored pencil on Bristol paper

2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 

NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION

202512070

© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

To purchase for your collection, please visit:

https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/241681104

Standing at the curve of the road with the hum of traffic in my ears and the faint mineral smell of fuel drifting from the giant white tanks, I tried to imagine what Jasper Cropsey once saw from this very hillside when autumn wrapped the Hudson River in blazing reds and golds. His painting held a wandering stream and hunters pausing in a sunlit meadow while sheep grazed in soft quiet, but now the sky is laced with power lines and Storm King Mountain across the water glows only where the sun manages to slip between thick cables. Even so, in the flash of blue water beyond the fence and the burst of color in the trees by the roadside, there is still a whisper of that older world, a reminder that the river keeps outlasting whatever we build beside it.

Do you ever stand in a familiar place and try to picture what it looked like before people reshaped it?

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?

❄️☃️ LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY ART FESTIVAL ☃️❄️

is here to help you find something truly special just in time. Join us for a festive online marketplace filled with creativity, community, and cheer at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1288257772795315

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

🏞️ Does "home" still feels like peace to you? 🏞️

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

🏞️ Weybridge, Vermont and the Care of Its Land 🏞️

acrylic paint on canvas board

8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)

202511066

© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

To purchase for your collection, please visit:

https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/689058278

Weybridge, Vermont, where the morning light still falls on fields that have been cared for by the same families for generations. Around here, we measure progress by what we choose to protect. Neighbors still gather at the farm stand, the forests still rise untouched on the hillsides, and the small roads still wind past barns that stand strong because our community believes beauty is worth keeping. We have watched elsewhere fill its open spaces with noise and speed, yet Vermont holds to a quieter promise.

We choose local before national, stewardship before sprawl, and a way of life that honors the land that raised us. This choice does not make us old fashioned. It makes us grounded. In Weybridge and across Vermont, we live close to what matters. The question is simple, yet powerful. What are you choosing to preserve in your own life and why does it matter? 

This piece would work best is a small-to-medium space that is red, orange, dark yellow, dark green, blue, purple, black, white, gray, or wood.

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?

❄️☃️ LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY ART FESTIVAL ☃️❄️

is here to help you find something truly special just in time. Join us for a festive online marketplace filled with creativity, community, and cheer at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1288257772795315

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

🎁 Find hundreds of beautiful art gifts under $100. Easy, thoughtful, and ready to bring joy this season. 🎁

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

✨ Holiday Art Gift Guide ✨

at: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=mike%20kraus%20art&order=price_desc&explicit=1&custom_price=1&max=100

If you are hunting for something thoughtful, joyful, and easy to give this season, I have wonderful news. You can now browse hundreds of beautiful art gifts under $100, each one created to bring a little glow of color and calm into someone’s life. From tiny atmospheric landscapes that feel like soft winter light on your skin to dreamy moments filled with gentle texture and warm color, there is something for friends, family, coworkers, and anyone who needs a spark of beauty right now. Everything ships safely, arrives ready to enjoy, and is chosen with care to help you stress less and smile more. Come explore the collection and treat someone to a small piece of joy this holiday season.

Find your perfect gift at: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=mike%20kraus%20art&order=price_desc&explicit=1&custom_price=1&max=100

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?

❄️☃️ LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY ART FESTIVAL ☃️❄️

is here to help you find something truly special just in time. Join us for a festive online marketplace filled with creativity, community, and cheer at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1288257772795315

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

🌊 What if the holidays looked a little more like paradise? 🌊

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

🌊 Santorini #603 🌊

pen, ink, and colored pencil on Bristol paper

2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 

NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION

202512069

© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

To purchase for your collection, please visit:

https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/187361236

From the moment I stepped onto the balcony in Órmos Athiniós and felt the warm breeze carrying a hint of salt, it was as if the whole world exhaled with me. The sky stretched out in every shade of blue I could name, meeting the sea so seamlessly that Nea Kameni looked like it was floating in a dream. I sat there longer than I meant to, letting the sunlight soak into my shoulders and listening to the soft echo of waves against the cliff below. The little white buildings nearby felt almost like quiet companions, each rooftop a tiny lookout where people paused just to take it all in. For a while nothing demanded my attention, nothing tugged at my mind, and I could simply breathe and watch the horizon shift.

Was there a place where the colors alone were enough to make you slow down?

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?

❄️☃️ LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY ART FESTIVAL ☃️❄️

is here to help you find something truly special just in time. Join us for a festive online marketplace filled with creativity, community, and cheer at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1288257772795315

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social

👷‍♂️ Who is the backbone of America? 👷‍♂️

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

👷‍♂️ Building America 👷‍♂️

Acrylic paint on canvas board

16" x 20" (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm)

202511065

© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

To purchase for your collection, please visit: 

https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/235308667

Each morning I climb toward the sunrise with the same steady purpose that brought me here, carrying the faces of my family on my helmet and the hope that my work helps shape a home for them. The rhythm of lifting shingles and securing each nail feels small on its own, yet together these quiet labors become part of a larger story that hands have written across America. I think about how each roof I finish protects someone’s dreams and how every day spent building lifts me a little closer to my own.

When the light breaks across the sky, I cannot help but wonder what part of the United States we each choose to build with the work of our hands and the direction of our hearts?

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?

❄️☃️ LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY ART FESTIVAL ☃️❄️

is here to help you find something truly special just in time. Join us for a festive online marketplace filled with creativity, community, and cheer at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1288257772795315

My Story

Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWayToBeauty

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mikekraus.bsky.social