Showing posts with label mountains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mountains. Show all posts

Friday, July 9, 2021

Room With a View

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Room With a View
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm) 
202106052

The coffee percolates noisily as I take care of our zooming dog.  She's always excited as I sleepily change into my t-shirt and jeans.  I throw a ball down the hall, pour a cup of coffee, and drag my feet to my work-from-home office full of unfinished tasks and dinging alarms.  In a few minutes, we'll be starting our work day with a contentious virtual meeting about a project unrelated to my work.  I take a deep breath, a big sip, and a quiet moment to appreciate the vast expanse outside my window.  


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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Friday, January 22, 2021

Vita Dream

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Vita Dream
acrylic painting on canvas
14" x 18" (35.6cm x 45.7cm)
202012123
© copyright Mike Kraus

LET'S CREATE YOUR VERY OWN PAINTING TOGETHER!  Your cherished memory or idea can be made into a work of art.  Whether you want to remember a special day or give something to a caring friend; we can work together to create something unique.  Invest in yourself and the arts with a special vision to color your walls.  

This will be a positive, fun experience.  I would be happy to chat with you, with no obligation, about what you have in mind. It’s important to me that you’re thrilled with the final piece.  
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.

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Friday, April 24, 2020

Lavender In Provence

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty 


Lavender In Provence
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202004025
© 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 great in a small space that is dark red, yellow, green, blue, dark purple, black, white, gray, 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:
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Monday, February 17, 2020

Sunflowers and Lavender In Provence France

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty
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Sunflowers and Lavender In Provence France
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" in a vintage frame (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm in a vintage frame)
201801012
© copyright Mike Kraus
To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/235352360/sunflowers-and-lavender-in-provence

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 dark red, yellow, dark orange, green, blue, purple, black, white, grey, beige. or wood


Michael 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.





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Friday, October 18, 2019

Montagne Sainte-Victoire

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty 



Montagne Sainte-Victoire
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
201910091
© copyright Michael Kraus


Montagne Sainte-Victoire can be seen in the distance from Le Jas de Bouffan.  A source of inspiration for ancient Roman soldiers conquering surrounding lands.  A site for festivals for early Christians celebrating the beautiful world.  And the view of the mountain was incredible at Chemin des Lauves.  These locations and mountain were the bookends of the life of Paul Cezanne.  His optical realism, simplified shapes, colorful atmospheres, and enhanced depth motivated Matisse, Picasso, Mondrian, Beckmann, Braque, Giacometti, Léger, Gorky, Giorgio Morandi, Liubov Popova, Marsden Hartley, Charles Demuth, Kelly, Jasper Johns, Jeff Wall, Brice Marden, Sherrie Levine, Francis Alÿs and so many others to make their own unique creations.

This painting would great in a small space that is dark red, orange, yellow, green, blue, dark purple, black, white, gray, beige, or wood.

More About Mike Kraus Art
My NPR Marketplace Business News interview about art as an alternative investment

Graphic Ear Interview on WAYO 104.3 FM

Boston Voyager Magazine interview at:

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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Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Off To The Races In Saratoga Springs

HELLO SARATOGA SPRINGS!

To alleviate Megan's sadness at leaving the Wilson Foundation (http://wilsonfdn.org/) after 9 years and to temper her excitement at joining the Farash Foundation (https://www.farashfoundation.org/), we took a very quick trip to nearby Saratoga Springs, New York.


"Were you born in a barn?"
"No, but I did sleep in a horse stable..."

The Brentwood Hotel (https://brentwood-hotel.com/) was a nice, fun, and comfortable place to stay within the grounds of the Saratoga Race Track (https://www.saratogaracetrack.com/).  Very European accommodations.  And close to town, but far enough away to be very, very quiet.

While it was the off-season, the Brentwood Hotel was a great place to watch all the horses head to the track from their stables for training.

Druther's Brewing (http://www.druthersbrewing.com) with their good beer and food of gigantic proportions.  We saw another table order a mac and cheese that could easily feed a family of four.

Friends gathering around the table.

When there's a bit of rain on vacation, the best thing to do is try everything a brewery offers.  To see what's on our flight, visit: http://www.druthersbrewing.com/beer

Megan trying our race day hats at Soave Faire Art & Office Supplies (http://www.soavefaire.com).  This store somehow carried everything.  They had fashion, cards, home decor, art supplies, and so much more.  If they carried food, there'd be no reason to shop anywhere else.

Since 1938, this is the Louisiana cooking they've been serving at Hattie's Chicken Shack (http://hattiesrestaurant.com).  Great food and atmosphere.  Almost like taking a vacation while on vacation.

Just a sliver of the expansive grounds of the Saratoga Race Track.  It's at least 125 acres (if not more) of race tracks, stables, fields, barns, Hall of Fame, and more.

Please tell me that mini horse racing is a thing.  Com' on Lil' Sebastian!

Taking our morning strill into town we were able to watch some harness racing warm-ups and training.

Just a small slice of the enormous mansions around town.

The little Hobbit House known as the Bread Basket Bakery (https://www.saratogabreadbasket.com)

Enjoying our maple twist and raspberry bear claw in Congress park.  These were pretty amazing.

A bit of the historic and old world charm of Congress Park (https://www.saratoga.com/hotspots/congress-park/)

Megan overlooking Lake George from Pilot Knob Preserve (https://www.lakegeorge.com/hiking/pilot-knob/#1).

This is protected lands in the Adirondack Mountains.  A mile-long driveway and house was constructed on this site, which blighted the unbroken wilderness of the Pilot Knob range.  The property was confiscated, rehabilitated by the Zug Family, and the house was torn down to the cheers of the crowd of people in 40 boats below.


The hemlock and oak forest on the back part of Schumann's Preserve at Pilot Knob.



Back at the gazebo overlooking Lake George


After all that vertical hiking, we earned these burritos at the Cantina (https://www.cantinasaratoga.com/).  Chicken Tinga with cactus fries really hit the spot.

Watching the horses return to the Bond Racing Stables (https://www.jamesbondracing.com) after some training at the race track.


It's amazing how athletic these horses look compared to the horses you see wandering around the fields on farms.

Five Points Grocery (https://www.saratoga5points.com/) wonderful little grocery store perfectly situated between our place and town.

Hathorn Spring One is one of the namesakes of the city.  "Discovered in 1866, by a workman, Samuel Freeburn, while digging an excavation for Congress Hall, and named after Henry H, Hathorn owner of the Congress Hotel .A highly-carbonated water of an Alkaline-Saline flavor noted for its high mineral content, and renowned as a digestive curative..."

Compton's Restaurant (https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Diner/Comptons-Restaurant-159286897415115/) for breakfast.  It's the perfect no-nonsense, good food and reasonable prices greasy spoon.


Adelphi Hotel (https://www.theadelphihotel.com/) and Morrissey Restaurant (https://www.morrisseyslounge.com/) showing some of the grandeur of Broadway.

Some of General Philip Schuyler's 168,000 acre estate (https://www.nps.gov/sara/planyourvisit/schuyler-house.htm) given to him and maintained by tenant farmers and slaves.  Also, just know the difficulty of navigating the area when every house, laundromat, rest stop, and street is named Schuyler...

Saratoga National Park (https://www.nps.gov/sara/index.htm) overlooking the battlefield where the British faced their first surrender ever.  A feat that encouraged the French to join the America cause for independence, which turned the endeavor to our favor.


Our final stop on our way home.  The eerie nesting grounds of the Heron at Ballston Creek Preserve (https://www.saratogaplan.org/explore/public-preserves-trails/ballston-creek-preserve/) in Ballston Spa, NY.  While we didn't see any Heron, Megan did see a Bald Eagle from I-90 at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/montezuma/).

That's it from our sample-sized vacation.
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Friday, June 28, 2019

Elephants of Tanzania

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Elephants of Tanzania
acrylic paint on canvas
12" x 12" (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm)
201906055
© copyright Mike Kraus
To purchase, please visit: https://society6.com/product/elephants-of-tanzania_print?sku=s6-9012384p4a1v45

For years, she's been planning to turn this room into a library.  There's been lots of discussions and ideas.  Shelves have been built.  Molding has been added.  There's been a lot of carpentry and even a new chair to be cozy in while reading.  But, there was a spot that just seemed to be missing something.  And she created something perfect for that space by commissioning the Elephant of Tanzania.



Michael 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.


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