Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts

Friday, July 15, 2022

Ultimate Girl's Camping Weekend In New York

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty 


Ultimate Girl's Camping Weekend In New York
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202207025
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.

Are you going on an unexpected trip?  Here are some tips for having the ultimate girl's camping weekend in New York state.  Don't forget your tent, sleeping and cooking gear, comfortable clothes for various conditions, and toiletries (including bug spray, chapstick, and sunscreen).  Remember to leave the smartphone at home because you're going off-the-grid and don't want to be tracked.  Don't worry about the consequences of the bull horn prick or snake venom.  We care about your health and you can receive treatment even if you're from out-of-state.  You'll have access to health centers and/or pills.  It's your choice.  All that hiking can be stressful, so be sure to treat yourself to good meals.  Find great recipes that are easy to make or have a local restaurant deliver to your site.  New York welcomes you at: https://www.iloveny.com/places-to-stay/camping

Let's start being kinder to others and ourselves with the Kindness Challenge at: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10226330581306590&set=gm.408879584593350

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 thousands 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.

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Palmer Hall

"Palmer Hall", 2014
pen and ink 
© copyright Mike Kraus


I paid the fee and they unlocked the doors.  We transferred our equipment from the car onto the stage.  Other groups arrive and friends gather in the parking lot.  Standing around the back door waiting for our drinks to be delivered.  This is the only place where kids are welcome.  Killing time with skateboards and forgetting the long week.  It’s 7pm and time to open the doors for the show.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

"All Entities Move and Nothing Remains Still"

"All Entities Move and Nothing Remains Still", 2014
pen, ink, and graphite
© copyright Mike Kraus


When is a place no longer home?  Is it when you no longer recognize the town?  Maybe it’s when all the institutions you were involved with have dissolved?  Or could it be when all your friends and family have fled?  Is the passing of time what makes it so “you can’t go home again?”

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

A Stumble Down Memory Lane

Found a ton of photos in a box while cleaning out my childhood bedroom.  What a great opportunity to embarrass myself and the one's I love.

My Jim Harbaugh grin at some ice cream parlor in Allendale, Michigan in 2002.  These kids to the right were doing something funny that was not captured on film.  But, I like the picture all the same...

"Excuse me Mr. Queer, will you take a picture with my sons?"  Nothing like being 15 years old and taking a trip down to Chicago to see The Queers, the Groovie Ghoulies, Screw 32, and Alkaline Trio (their first show) at the Metro.  That was also the trip where the highway caught on fire in Gary, Indiana and no one seemed to care.  They just drove through it.

Mike Nummerdor after the Chicago concert.  We stayed at some hotel in Michigan City, Indiana and stayed up all night (which was easy if you drank enough Bubba Cola).  I'll have to put up the pictures of us at the outlet mall next to the nuclear plant and other oddities at some point.

Meerkat Mike.  Probably about 1997 when the Nummerdor family moved into their home on the corner of Forest Park and Lake Harbor.  Lynne tasked us with removing a post at the end of the driveway, which ended up being a far bigger task than expected.  We did far more damage than help on that project.   

Nick Nummerdor as a groundhog.  

"Mom.  You just hit that button.  No, not that one.  The other one.  No.  What?  Did it go off?"  This was part of some project I was working on .  There are a series of these photos trying to instruct my mom on how to use the weird, cheap camera I use to own.   

Hey!  There's a gnome behind that rock!

J.T. Law teamwork retreat to St. Andrew's Hall in Pontiac, Michigan to see NoFX.  We're with Fat Mike, the lead singer and bassist.  Ben looks confused because he thought he was just some random guy we met in the parking lot.

Nick, Greg from the Bouncing Souls, and myself before the show at St. Andrew's Hall 

Ah, Ben figured out how I scored us free tickets to the show and we're not just randomly harassing people in the parking lot.  

 Grand Rapids is Burning!  On my way to something and got stuck when a building burned down near Division Street.  

Paul Bourdon, Me, Roddy Moon at our high school graduation in 1999 

Rodd Moon trying on an Inspector Gadget trench coat at ValuLand (RIP).   

And, more art.  A cool envelope by fellow SAIC alum, Jeni Gifford. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

"Imagine How Many People Would Read Your Blog If You Wrote Something Interesting..."

Scout's level of misery captured in this photo says what we are all thinking about the first snowfall of the season.  

 So much for raking the leaves...

 

Deer scavenging for food in my backyard. 

Hmmm...  Maybe I'll have to rake with a shovel. 

This fella found a good spot under a pine tree in the backyard.   

Really?  REALLY...

 One sad puppy after getting spayed.  Lots of whimpers and snoring.

There were a couple times I had to check if she was still breathing or needed an Exorcist... 

Passed out at the bar 

 Nothing like having to hold your dog like a baby.

She was like this for the next few days. 

"What the hell did they give me?"  Scout meets Josephine the rabbit.  Oddly, they seem to really like each other. 

This is how we roll 

 The Demon Dog is back and took out Dave.  He's lucky that he still has a face after this.

So, there's your snow report from a dog.  

Happy Birthday to my sister Lisa and my Grandma Marlyn (and get well soon).  Saw Warhorse at the Auditorium (Thanks Dick and Marianne), which was a great production with amazing puppetry.  That is all...

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Our New Dog Scout

Here's our new puppy, Scout.  She's a nine week old Lab/Terrier/Shepherd/Squirrel/Kangaroo/Meerkat mix.

 And, especially for Katie, here's a puppy photo extravaganza!

She has a quick and sneaky tongue (Scout, not Megan)... 

She's a pretty calm dog unless you release her from her crate.  Then she's a blur. 



 Belly scratchin'!

She will do everything in her power to be in your lap at all times.

Pose...  Pose...  Sneak attack! 

 Licking the ears.

STOOOOOOP!!! 

Megan and Scout at Corbett's Glen watching the salmon. 



That's a fur baby photo montage...

Fishermen at Corbett's Glen.  The guy on the left is lugging around a giant salmon.

APPLE PICKING UPDATE:  Per my last blog, we went apple picking.  Therefore, Megan's been on an apple food marathon.  Here is apple cake, which is a great substitute for every meal.

Mmmmm...  Baked apple

That's it.  I'm going to bother our dog now...

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