Showing posts with label House. Show all posts
Showing posts with label House. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Lavender Farm

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Lavender Farm
acrylic paint on canvas 
36" x 48" (91.4 cm x 121.9 cm) 
© copyright Mike Kraus

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.  And every twisting road we turn down has countless rows of purple and blue lavender.  The heat of the Mediterranean sun presses against our backs as we pedal back to the village of Sault.  I'll never forget the fields of France.

This painting would look best in a space that is light red, yellow, orange, green, blue, deep purple, black, white, grey, beige, or wood

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Monday, March 8, 2021

Turn It Off

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Turn It Off #418
pen and ink on Bristol paper
2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 
NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION
202103016

Avoid too much exposure to news– Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories (including social media posts).  Limit news to 15-minutes per day to stay informed; not overwhelmed.  It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly.  Try to do enjoyable activities and return to normal life as much as possible.

Seek help when needed– If distress impacts activities of your daily life for several days or weeks, talk to a clergy member, counselor, or doctor, or contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-985-5990.


Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

Monday, January 25, 2021

Turn It Off

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Turn It Off #412
pen and ink on Bristol paper
2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 
NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION
202101003

Avoid too much exposure to news– Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories (including social media posts).  Limit news to 15-minutes per day to stay informed; not overwhelmed.  It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly.  Try to do enjoyable activities and return to normal life as much as possible.

Seek help when needed– If distress impacts activities of your daily life for several days or weeks, talk to a clergy member, counselor, or doctor, or contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-985-5990.


Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

Friday, October 23, 2020

Autumn Forest

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Autumn Forest
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202010096
© copyright Mike Kraus
There's a crispness to the fall air walking through the forest.  The sunlight makes the yellows, oranges, and reds explode in vibrancy.  It's an easy hike to the small river.  That's where we'll see the salmon trying to make their run.  The perfect place to social distance.

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

Having Fun During Coronavirus
Have Some Theme Spirit:
Working For the Weekend:

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Friday, October 9, 2020

Autumn Forest

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Autumn Forest
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202010090
© copyright Mike Kraus
There's a crispness to the fall air walking through the forest.  The sunlight makes the yellows, oranges, and reds explode in vibrancy.  It's an easy hike to the small river.  That's where we'll see the salmon trying to make their run.  The perfect place to social distance.

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

Having Fun During Coronavirus
Have Some Theme Spirit:
Working For the Weekend:

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Building A Fire Pit: Having Fun During Coronavirus

Building A Fire Pit: Having Fun During Coronavirus



With all the concerns and anxiety about Coronavirus (COVID-19), we need to find ways to slow down, relax, and enjoy the time we have to ourselves.  To stay safe if we have asthma, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, have/survived cancer, or 50+ year old.  Take a break from the numbers about infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.  

Staying healthy also means time for relaxation.  The benefits of unwinding are: slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure, slowing your breathing rate, improving digestion, maintaining normal blood sugar levels, reducing activity of stress hormones, increasing blood flow to major muscles, reducing muscle tension and chronic pain, improving concentration and mood, improving sleep quality, lowering fatigue, reducing anger and frustration, boosting confidence to handle problems (Mayo Clinic Stress Management).  And what can be more relaxing than a night talking by the fire?


1) Dig a hole the size you'd like for a fire pit.  This is about 40 inches x 40 inches with a depth of about 9 inches.  (Call 811 or your local utility provider before digging)


2) Once dug out, tamp or pack the soil tight and level (Not really seen in this photo).


3) Lay out the cinder blocks in a level square.  Fill in with some of the soil that you've dug out.


4) Next, lay some decorative bricks on top.  Once in place, dump soil or sand on top of the bricks and try to rub it into the seams.


 

Remember to follow local and state guidelines before burning.  And just so we don't add unnecessary stress, here's a link for building a fire: https://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Fire.  Once completed, you'll have a simple, cheap fire pit that is easy to maintain, quick to fix, and simple to remove.  

DON'T FORGET TO HAVE FUN!
And, please feel free to contact if you have any questions or suggestions!


Health and Safety Considerations for gathering:
1) No indoor activities
2) No sharing bathrooms
3) Wash hands before and after gathering.  Don't touch your face.
4) Bring your own food, snacks, drinks, and utensils.
5) Do not attend if you have asthma, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, have/survived cancer, or 50+ year old.
6) Do not attend if you have or have had Coronavirus or showing symptoms (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).
8) Limit attendance.  Check local health department for guidelines and restrictions.
9) Talk with everyone about comfort levels.  Expect and allow non-participation and last minute cancellations.

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Art Project: Having Fun During Coronavirus



Art Project: Having Fun During Coronavirus

Let's admit that we have lots of concerns and anxiety today.  As counts of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths from Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to rise unabated; it's scary.  Especially if you're one of the countless people with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, have/survived cancer, or 50+ year old.

Staying healthy also means keeping your mind active, creative, and entertained.  

1) Choose An Idea - What would you like to create?  It could be an online art show (http://www.artvirus.org/), a (maga)zine (https://thecreativeindependent.com/guides/how-to-make-a-zine/), public art in your yard or neighborhood, a mural, chalk drawings, hang paintings and/or quilts in your windows, rock painting, or countless other projects.

2) Invite Friends - Typically, 3-9 people are ideal for projects and within safety limits of local and state Coronavirus protections.  Wear a mask, stay 6 feet (2 meters) apart, bring your own snacks/drinks and meet at a park, driveway, or yard.  If unable or uncomfortable with in-person gathering, meet over Zoom, Facetime, or other platform.  

3) Themes - Choose a broad idea that can be interpreted many ways.  It's can just be something as simple as "summer" or "relaxing thoughts.  Try to find a concept that all the participants have in common.

4) Community - Who will see your creations?  Will it be your immediate neighbors, kids, nursing home patients?  Thing about your audience and how your project will be perceived.

Consider fundraising for a local organization in need like PPE for hospital, the Red Cross, local food pantry, and so many more


5) Assignments - Everyone has a creative skill.  Show it off.  Determine how the finished project will look.  List all tasks needed for completion.  Set due dates, but try to be flexible.  Everyone's life is crazy right now.  

6) Friendly Critique - Almost nothing ever comes out as planned.  Especially with groups.  Look at the creations, make adjustments, and allow people to make insightful suggestions for improvement.

7) CELEBRATE! - Having fun is important.  While we may mourn that things have changed temporarily, we need to create new and safe traditions.  This can be in the form of a parade, online parties, and many other forms.    




Health and Safety Considerations for gathering:
1) No indoor activities
2) No sharing bathrooms
3) Wash hands before and after gathering.  Don't touch your face.
4) Bring your own food, snacks, drinks, and utensils.
5) Do not attend if you have asthma, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, have/survived cancer, or 50+ year old.
6) Do not attend if you have or have had Coronavirus or showing symptoms (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).
8) Limit attendance.  Check local health department for guidelines and restrictions.
9) Talk with everyone about comfort levels.  Expect and allow non-participation and last minute cancellations.


Please feel free to contact if you have any questions or suggestions!

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Monday, July 13, 2020

Stay Home

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty 



Stay Home 
acrylic paint on canvas board
5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm) 
202007054
© copyright Mike Kraus

Many of us have lost friends way too soon.  Other's have been alone on hospital ventilators drowning in their own lungs.  For those of us with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, have/survived cancer.  And our 50+ year old parents and grandparents who we love so much.  

Stay home, save lives.  It's really that simple.  Finally getting to play video games without interruption.  I'm binge watching all sorts of shows and movies.  Laying in my hammock reading books that have been collecting on my shelves.  And evenings playing board games with a few glasses of wine.  Our pup, Scout, loves all the attention and walks she's been getting.  Saving lives has never been so easy.

See how staying home prevents thousands of people from getting the Coronavirus:
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/26/21193851/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-home-social-distancing

Tips For Working At Home
Communication:
Be You!: 

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Tips For Working At Home: Be You


Be You

Coronavirus (Covid-19) may have changed many things, but it hasn't changed who we are as individuals.  If you can figure out who you are and how to be yourself, you'll be so much happier.  All of us have unique eccentricities and different challenges.  Here are some ideas about how to embrace ourselves during uncertain times.


1) Who Am I and Who Do I Want To Be? - We all get lost.  Beliefs collide with experiences to make us hypocrites.  So, we have to be patient, flexible, and understanding to others and ourselves.

Personally, I was having lots of troubles a few years ago.  Upon reflection, I realized I needed to work at being a better person.  But, what did that mean to me?  My answer was to put truth, fairness, and kindness into action.  Sometimes there are grey areas, I forget and fail, or I stubbornly cling to wishful thinking.  Yet, it always comes back and I will myself to do the right thing. 

2) Who Cares What They Think? - If you don't choose for yourself; someone else will choose for you.  You'll lose your personal identity, lessen your self-esteem, waste time and energy on other people's pet projects, and have unfulfilling relationships.  That doesn't mean you're selfishly not taking other's into consideration.  It just means you're taking yourself into consideration as well.  And that's healthy.  

3) Being Alone - Use this isolation to discover who you really are.  What are your thoughts, interests, feelings, dreams, and ideas?  Turn off the smartphone and TV to listen to yourself.  

4) You're Weird - Good!  Weird is interesting.  Weird is fun.  Love it because it means you're probably doing something right.  It's a compliment; not an insult.


5) Build Confidence - Imagine who you want to be.  Ignore self-doubt.  Set some achievable goals.  Share goals with a supportive friend.  Help the supportive friend with their goals.  

6) "Pobody's Nerfect" - Most likely, it's your first time going through life.  You'll accidentally insult your boss, regret some decisions, and forget someone's birthday.  Admit the error, apologize, make a kind gesture, and move on.  

7) Get a Hobby - Find something you love to do. It can be painting, sculpture, sewing, writing, photography, printing, volunteering for a cause, fitness, biking, hiking, woodworking, learn a new language, making models, magic, juggling, fishing, running, dancing, swimming, geo-caching, surfing, astronomy, model rockets, bird watching, researching ancestry, history of a specific event, card games, pool, darts, home brewing, wine tasting, music, collecting and so, so very much more. 

8) Hooray For Mistakes! - Mistakes are great as long as you learn from them.  It means you're still experimenting and trying new things.  Just remember to admit your errors, ask yourself honest questions about your decisions, find effective way to prevent future problems, and move on.

Or it could be a new discovery.  A few "mistakes" lead to the creation of the plastic, Post-It Notes, the Slinky, Penicillin, corn flakes, the Pacemaker, and so much more.  As Bob Ross says, "We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents. 

AND DON'T FORGET TO HAVE FUN!!!

Have any questions? Please feel free to contact me.  
Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Tips For Working At Home: Communication



Improving Communication

Working from home comes with a lot of obstacles. Coronavirus (COVID-19) converting your dining room into a office crammed with your kids, pets, spouse, parents, roommates and others makes completing tasks nearly impossible.

We need to communicate better. Let's start by acknowledging everyone's situation is unique and difficult. I had many of the same issues you're experiencing when I started working from home 6+ years ago. And I hope the mistakes, failures, and experiences can help you during these difficult times.

1) Talking Without Words - Humans are social animals. We like being together. We're also visual creatures. This explains why social distancing and interacting with co-workers is so difficult from home. It's because about 55% of the communication you receive from a person talking is nonverbal. We know how a person feels from their facial expressions, posture, gestures, eye contact, and other movements. This means we have to compensate for the loss of person-to-person communication. More about nonverbal communication at: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/nonverbal-communication.htm

2) Know Your Audience - Are you talking with your boss, the board of directors, customers, or a Zoom crowd? Each group will have their own needs and expectations. All may be discussing the same production, but each segment will have very different questions about it.

3) "Hello Out There!" - This can be the most difficult during social distancing.  It's easy to lose your social skills. And you'll develop other strange social skills. So, set aside some time to talk with your co-workers on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Facetime, etc. While my organization is a "one-man band," I talk regularly with other artists, online sellers, and curators. It's not only good networking, but keeps me from becoming socially isolated.

4) Communicate Visually And By Voice - You may be busy right now, but this can save a lot of time in the long run. The human brain did not evolve to understand texts, emails, and other abstract communications. Because of this, they are frequently misread and interpreted negatively. How many mundane emails/texts have you sent that turned into a fight? So, use Facetime, Zoom, Skype and/or the phone to let people see your facial expressions and hear the tone of your voice. Humans are emotional creatures. And seeing your emotions will put them at ease.


5) Virtual Meetings - Honestly, I've never used Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Facetime, or other software before Coronavirus. So, here's what I've learned through trial and error:

a) Set a Time Limit - People zone out after 10 minutes. Check emails and other things after 30 minutes. Are useless at 1 hour.

b) Pause - Allow others to respond. Some connections are slow and other's have to release mute because of household activity

c) Be Prepared - Have a concise agenda, documents uploaded, and stay on topic.

d) Discipline - If you have a long meeting, don't allow unrelated conversations, down time for loading documents, and other interruptions or the meeting will be a waste of time. Allowing time for distractions means they may be on screen, but they are no longer participating in a real way. 

e) End On a High Note - With any spare time, ask a fun non-worked related question.  Or do something fun as a team.

6) Repeat Yourself. Repeat It Again. And Don't Forget To Repeat Yourself - With virtual communication being so cheap and easy, people forget things mentioned in text, email, etc. If something is important, I find I have to say it three times to make it stick in their brain. Another trick is to include a "task list" in every message during a project. This way, everyone know's where you are at on a project.

7) Tell A Story - For eons, humans communicated and learned from stories, myths, and legends around a campfire. So, if you have something important to say, make a story. It can be simple. Just have a clear message, show the conflict, easy to understand structure, share your personal experience, act it out appropriately, and edit out unnecessary details.




8) Ask and Accept Criticism - Some of the harshest attacks I've received for my art has improved my work. I posted a cityscape on social media and someone said "Terrible. You're better that this." Instead of replying with an insult, I asked him, "Why don't you like this? Please, be specific." He gave me his honest feelings that it lacked certain details to make it feel like a real location. It really forced me to rethink my work and how it was being perceived. Most importantly, he cared. He cared enough about my work to tell me his emotional response. He cared enough to tell me how to improve my painting. And he cared enough that he bought an improved version I created in response. Today, it's one of my more popular subjects to create.

9) Who's Being Quiet? - Meetings can easily be overpowered. Some people just love to hear themselves talk (especially when they have little to say). If someone's been silent the entire time, ask them about their thoughts, feelings, or ideas. For some reason, the shy one's tend to have the best ideas. Probably because they're listening and have contemplated the problem while everyone else was yakking about nothing.

10) Only Have A Meeting With A Written Agenda - Everyone's time is important and expensive. So, stop wasting it. And it can be super simple. For example, this is what I use:

(Client Name) Meeting on (Date), (Time)
1) State purpose of meeting (ie - purchase custom artwork)
2) Discuss purpose of meeting (ie -subject, size, colors, style, etc)
3) Review purpose of meeting (ie - confirm design details)

11) Save It - Have a meeting folder for your minutes, notes, presentations, or Zoom recordings. It will help you on your current projects. Confirm details that may be forgotten. And you can reuse many items for future meetings and projects.


12) Break Routine - If you want people to remember something, change expectations. It can be as simple as a funny meme in a Powerpoint, strange fact, or changing your normal meeting time, date, or location. It doesn't take a lot to surprise people.

13) Just Shut Up and Listen - Most people will tell you exactly what's on their mind and how they feel. Look at them. Ask follow up questions about details. And respond to their thoughts and emotions.


AND DON'T FORGET TO HAVE FUN!!!

Have any questions? Please feel free to contact me.

Mike Kraus was born on the industrial shoreline of Muskegon, Michigan. After earning his Fine Arts Degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he attended Grand Valley State University for his graduate degree. From there, he gained varied experiences from the Chicago Architecture Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Children's Memorial Foundation. And every place he worked, he had his sketchbook with him and found ways to be actively creative. In 2014, Kraus became a full-time artist by establishing Mike Kraus Art. Since then, he has sold hundreds of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. Currently, Kraus lives in Rochester, New York with his beautiful wife and goofy dog.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

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