🔥 Sparks Still Flying After 20 Years 🔥

To celebrate 20 years since our first date, Megan and I went to the Rochester Arc + Flame Center to learn how to weld

Joe and Bre were amazing during our Welding Date Night.  We learned a lot and they were VERY patient and fun.

Megan using the plasma cutter

Tonight's assignment: make a metal sculpture

ARC! Remember to wear your mask.  It's like looking at the sun and you'll get painful squigglies otherwise.

Showing off our handy work

Our midcentury modern sculptural collaboration.  It's been an amazing 20 year making a life with Megan.  And I'm curious what oddities will come about in the next 20 years!

👰🤵 Lisa and Ryan's Wedding 🤵👰

CONGRATULATIONS

LISA & RYAN

ON YOUR MARRIAGE!

On Friday May 2nd, 2025 Ryan Cummins & Lisa Kraus (my sister) had their wedding at Hackley Park in Muskegon, Michigan.

Rehearsal dinner at Teddy Spaghettis (an' a pizza pie!) (https://www.facebook.com/eatteddyspaghettis/)

Megan LOVED it!  We'll eat there every time we're in town now.  Teddy and the staff were wonderful.  Good live music while we ate.  And so many leftovers that we couldn't finish them after two days.  Ryan's grandma even found a roll in her purse the next day in the salon.

more SPAGHETTI less UPSETTI!

Lisa getting ready at Evolve Hair Salon (https://www.facebook.com/p/Evolve-Hair-Salon-100063443067183/)

My mom having her makeup put on.

Getting ready in the bridal suite at the Shoreline Inn (https://www.choicehotels.com/michigan/muskegon/ascend-hotels/mi322?mc=llgoxxpx)

The marriage was blessed by the mastodon at the Muskegon Museum of History & Science of the Lakeshore Museum Center (https://lakeshoremuseum.org/)

Photos at the Monet Garden Pocket Park (https://muskegon-mi.gov/parks/monet-gardens/)

Photos at Pere Marquette Beach (https://muskegon-mi.gov/parks/pere-marquette/)

When Ryan mentioned we looked like lucky grooms to passing traffic while waiting to set up, I decided that we should not let our audience down.

And no wedding is complete without visiting the Rotary Club (https://www.muskegonrotary.org/).  For extra bonus points, it was a fundraiser at Wonderland Distilling (https://wonderlanddistilling.com/)

Lisa and Jenny finishing off the cake from Ryke's Bakery (https://rykes.com/) at the reception.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to Jenny, Scott, and Maya for all your hard work pulling this wedding together.  It takes so much to make sure that the ceremony is on time, everything is set up, managing the florist, coordinating the food, cleaning up, and so much more.  It was because of you that our families had so much fun celebrating.  And we appreciate it more than you can imagine.

Lisa, you made a beautiful bride.  Ryan, we're so happy that we're now family.  All of us are so excited that you found each other and to many years of happiness!

Enjoy your Italian honeymoon!

🌸 To our inspirational moms! 🌸

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

To our inspirational moms!

Mom selflessly fought to make sure we would thrive. And there were no obstacles she wouldn't overcome to see us win. You are remarkable because you worked every day to make the world a better place. Your patience, kindness, and persistent effort inspires us to be better.

You’re special. You’re beautiful. And you're so loved. Happy Mother’s Day!

Your Friend,

Mike Kraus

MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

My Story

I’m Mike, the Artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I’d fill countless sketchbooks with drawings, cover school assignments with doodles, and publish magazines and print flyers for my friend’s bands. And then, I became an “adult…” The demands of food and rent seemed to require a “serious job.” For years, I languished in a cubicle performing meaningless tasks for a meager salary.

But, art was always my side hustle. I started selling my artwork in junior high between classes. I’d create original pieces during lectures and commissions instead of homework. Oddly enough, being a poor student is what got me into the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Inspired by my past history, I quit my career and took another part-time job as a cashier of a big-box store because it had the least amount of responsibility. The rest of my time I spent painting. After several months, I had to quit this low-wage job too because it was getting in the way of my art.

I decided to be a full-time professional artist. I needed the time to paint, collaborate with my patrons and galleries, and maintain my studio. Since then, I’ve sold thousands of paintings that are displayed in nearly every state and dozens of countries. I’m very fortunate to have a career dedicated to adding more beauty to the world. And I hope to share that experience with you.

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 

18 Years Ago...

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty 

It was 18 years ago that I went on my first date with Megan.  We met working at the Chicago Architecture Center (https://www.architecture.org/) where she planned events and I was in the tour department.  We had a love of weird bad movies from the start.  Blockbuster didn't have Robocop (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093870/), so we rented Innerspace (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093260/) instead.  And for dinner, we had takeout Chicken Katsu from Aloha Eats (https://www.alohaeats.com/).  Little did we know that it was a start of a wonderful adventure.  I'm very lucky.

And after 18 years with me, Megan has earned a homemade crab cake dinner...

Mike Kraus

MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

🌞😎🌳 BRING SPRING ART FESTIVAL 🌳😎🌞

Who's ready for Spring?  We can open our windows and redecorate our homes.  And enjoy the happiness of the warm sun

https://www.facebook.com/events/1060097501884160

ARTS o’ MAGAZINE:

🍺 Dusty’s Saloon 🍺:

https://medium.com/arts-o-magazine/dustys-saloon-09d9328ba48f?sk=4f4257acd925b1d6623148d79897a3a6

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 Center, Art Institute of Chicago, Hauenstein Center For Presidential Studies, Lollypop Farm Humane Society, and the Lurie Children's 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.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: http://MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MikeKrausArt

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

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikekrausart

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY!!!

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY!!!

YAY!  How is it possible that so much and so little time has passed?  It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that we were on the dance floor celebrating our wedding.  Yet, it's amazing that it's only been 10 years since we moved from Chicago, got awesome jobs, bought a house, adopted a silly mutt, and so much more.  And while so much has changed (like my Coronavirus Mutton Chops), the most important things have not; I love you, Megan and I look forward to the next 10 years with you!

Megan showing how she would pose if we were on our planned 2nd honeymoon in Hyères, France right now.  Oh well... 

Life is what you make of it.  We don't need money or things to have fun; just each other.  To commemorate our trip to Belgium we had not-so-Belgian waffles for breakfast.  I'll admit Maison Dandoy (https://maisondandoy.com/) in Brussels were slightly better...

After a relaxing morning and a brief walk along Lake Ontario, we had a "Spanish picnic" in honor of our vacation to Mallorca/Barcelona in Durand Eastman Park.

Faisão Wines (https://enoport.pt/) overlooking Lake Ontario from the allegedly haunted "White Lady's Castle."  The myth is a mother haunts the old foundations of a mansion where her daughter went forever missing.  But, the foundations are a ruin of a former hotel.  So...

Tapas, my love?  Another inspiration from our trip to Spain.  But, with an Irish-America twist of loaded potato skins.  Buen provecho and Taitneamh a bhaint as do chuid béile

Green onions are different from leeks.  My wife informs me I was lied to by the produce staff.

Reminds me of our visit to L'Affaire Est Ketchup (https://www.facebook.com/pg/laffaireest.ketchup) in Québec, Canada.

Another Belgian treat.  This time it's waterzooi and french fries (I know, mayo instead of ketchup is more authentic (Welcome to life during Coronavirus).  The restaurant in Bruges/Brugge, Belgium doubled as an antique store.  We had a hearty meal before an evening trying a myriad of Belgian beers in a fairy tale of a city.

Why is coronavirus turning me into Ted Nugent?  Is Covid-19 a variant of Cat Scratch Fever?

Celebrating 10 years together with a 10 year old tawny port wine from Taylor Fladgate (https://www.taylor.pt/us).  On our honeymoon in Porto, Portugal we toured their facilities and sampled their wine.  It was an estate up on a hill overlooking the city across the Douro River.  We had the tasting room with the parachute ceiling all to ourselves.

Cheer to the 10 years we've been married and cheers to the many more years of happiness we have to look forward to!