White Russian

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

White Russian

acrylic paint on canvas board

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

202106050

© copyright Mike Kraus

For prints, please visit: https://society6.com/product/white-russian-vodka-cream-ice-drinks-alcohol-coffee-liqueur-cherry-kitchen-bar-glass-gifts-dude_print?sku=s6-20818652p4a1v45

For image, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1027009368/white-russian-original-digital-download

Perle Mesta, US ambassador to Luxembourg in 1949, was known for her lavish parties.  So, when she arrived at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, the barman Gustave Tops wanted to honor her with a new drink.  It's "Russian" because of it's vodka, but has countless other variations like Belgian with chocolate liqueur, Cuban with rum, Canadian with goat's milk, Mexican with horchata, and "dirty" using chocolate milk.  It also co-starred in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski with Jeff Bridges.  "The Dude abides."

This piece would look best in a space that is red, yellow, orange, dark green, dark blue, purple, black, white, gray, beige. or wood

Having Fun During COVID-19

https://mikekraus.blogspot.com/p/covid-19coronavirus-resources.html

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:

Store: MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

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Bushnell's Basin Along the Erie Canal

Bushnell's Basin Along the Erie Canal, 2014

Acrylic on canvas board

7" x 9"

Collection of Seth and Michelle Klein

© copyright Mike Kraus

Please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186507940/custom-commission-original-art-by-mike?

Bushnell's Basin Along the Erie Canal was commissioned to honor a special event and given on Mother's Day.  For more information or custom order, please visit:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt 

It Almost Kinda Feels Like It Might Be Spring

Anyone in the market for a good Elvis lamp?  There was a good one at the public market garage sale this past weekend...

Some good stuff, but didn't really find anything we wanted.  Maybe next time...

 Megan and I went to go support a friend participating in the Flower City Challenge Half-Marathon. (http://www.flowercitychallenge.com/)

Here's a kid giving fives to runners as they enter the gates to Mt. Hope Cemetery.

RUN!

"Ugh, I wouldn't wanna run up that."

The gazebo and gatehouse for the cemetery

A cobblestone hill doesn't seem like the ideal road to run a marathon on.  We were very close to seeing dozens of broken ankles.

Drums and bagpipes are an interesting way to pump up runners.  I liked it though.

Scout really likes the runners and was disappointed we didn't let her race.

Had some work to do at the Abbott's in Bushnell's Basin.  Megan liked it because it was a good excuse for ice cream.

Please check out my art at:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MikeKrausArt

Don't see anything you'd like, let me know and I could create something special for you!

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. 

Marriage Bliss

HAPPY 3RD ANNIVERSARY MEGAN!  What better way to celebrate than a Chicago Omelette at the New Yorker Restaurant (165 W. Commercial St. E. Rochester, NY)?


Not to be outdone, got myself the Banana Nut Rum French Toast.  We'll need the energy for the days next activity


KAYAKING DOWN THE ERIE CANAL!



Picked up a kayak at the Erie Canal Boat Company (http://www.eriecanalboatcompany.com/)


Don't know about the Erie Canal and why it's important?  Don't worry, there's a wikipedia page for that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Canal


Luckily, this was the only sunny weather we've had in the last three weeks




Paddling back to Fairport from Macedon.  


A Turtle.  Saw quite a bit of wildlife: heron, hawks, fish and all sorts of stuff I wasn't quick enough to take pictures of...


We're back.  Oddly enough, when we pulled up to the dock there was a lady with a still and video camera that wanted to interview us.  There's a guy by the name of John Robinson that is biking the Erie Canal and making a documentary about it.  Interesting story and I'm sure we'll end up on the cutting room floor.  But, I suggest checking it out at Our Ability (http://www.ourability.com/)


Now to the serious business of getting ice cream


If you know Megan, you know she takes ice cream very seriously...


I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream (before being committed).  Moonlight Creamery (http://www.moonlightcreamery.com/) is one of the best and most interesting ice cream places I've ever been to.  They're all about the environment.  And, it's the first time I've ever had Kenyan Mango something or another and whatever the second scoop was.  Highly recommended.


And, what better way can you end a day than dinner on the patio at Richardson's (http://www.richardsonscanalhouse.net/)?





Tree stump art along the canal at Richardson's.  There's a lot to look at while having a few drinks along the canal: the lighthouse, log cabins, pine trees, and all sorts of little details.  I will have to do some research on this.

GREAT ANNIVERSARY AND I LOVE YOU MEGAN!!!


Other pressing business: Penfield 4th of July fireworks on June 29th (what can I say, they don't procrastinate).  Pretty impressive display and I have to wait until next year to experience the parade that passes my house.

  
Whoa man!


It seems this firework was about to attack my face...


Embers of my long dormant fire pit.  When will it finally stop raining so we can have S'mores?


Our pet deer.  They are not scared of us.  They don't care about us.  They may actually have the deed to our house.


This part is for Dee, the flower expert: What are these?  This one is from our yard.


These are from our yard too (and not photoshopped either)


Not from our yard, but Megan would like them to be.


Glad Megan didn't see this guy floating past us in the Erie Canal...



Yotini's yogurt about to open up on July 10(ish).  I guess this will be a new stop on our walk to the library and back.


Poor Athena can't get this monkey off her back...