Skaneateles Lake

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

Skaneateles Lake

acrylic painting on canvas board

8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202104026

© copyright Mike Kraus

To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/740875679/skaneateles-lake-original-acrylic

Pacing along Skaneateles Lake's shore, the water barely makes a noise in the crisp breeze.  We find a comfortable spot to relax, snack on trail mix, and enjoy a Riesling grown and bottled a few minutes away from this spot.  Our conversation drifts in and out of seriousness.  We scan the opposite shores, near and far, trying to absorb nature's relaxation.  The perfect place to social distance.  

This painting would look best in a medium-to-large space that is dark red, orange, yellow, green, dark blue, dark purple, black, white, grey, 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

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MikeKrausArt
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikekrausart

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MikeKrausBlog

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus

The Diva Squirrel

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

The Diva Squirrel

5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm) in a frame

acrylic paint of canvas board

201804058

© copyright Mike Kraus

For more information, please visit: please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/186507940/custom-commission-original-art-by-mike

Suzan isn't afraid of being "different." As a model, she regularly shops at jewelry stores for accessories. One day, she was inspired to create a piece she saw, but with a little more pizzaz. Suzan was successful at adding that pizzaz and started to make several more pieces. Friends, family, and co-workers would compliment the jewelry, which lead to sales when they discovered they were her own creations. 

Why Diva Squirrel Treasures? "Diva" is Suzan's modeling persona (per say). "Squirrel" is her nickname because of her short attention span. And "Treasures" are all her jewelry. "It is uniquely silly, but even my oldest son said he remembered in because it was different.

See Diva Squirrel Treasures eclectic jewelry at: 

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

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.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: 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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MikeKrausBlog

Google+: http://plus.google.com/111168390406803022323/posts

Birch Forest

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

Birch Forest, 2018

acrylic paint on canvas

36" x 48" (91.4 cm x 121.9 cm) 

201803055

© copyright Mike Kraus
To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/225529342/birch-forest-original-acrylic-painting

A way can be a guide, but not a fixed path;
names can be given, but not permanent labels.
Nonbeing is called the beginning of heaven and earth;
being is called the mother of all things.
Always passionless, thereby observe the subtle;
ever intent, thereby observe the apparent.
These two come from the same source but differ in name;
both are considered mysteries.
The mystery of mysteries
is the gateway of marvels.

-Tao Te Ching - Lao-Tzu - Chapter 1

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

(detail)

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.

For more information or custom order, please visit:

Store: 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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MikeKrausBlog

Google+: http://plus.google.com/111168390406803022323/posts

(detail)

SUMMER DAYS! (Limited Time ONLY)

Bringing a little bit of Chicago to Rochester.  Take a nice walk on a 80 degree day, running errands, with an adult Capri Sun...

Unlimited entertainment.  The neighbors are chopping down/trimming a bunch of trees.  I've never seen such creative use of a chainsaw before.

FINALLY!  Megan walking Scout through Linear Park for the first time on my commute to work.  This was a really big weekend for Scout with all the walks and all.  With the warm sun out, she discovered that she does like going outside now. 

Megan and Scout along Irondequoit Creek.   

Heaven is sitting on the porch chewing a stick 

 A good place to cool off and hide from Megan's scary rake.

This was a good weekend.

Time to rest now that winter is coming back...

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!

APRIL FOOLS!

Seriously, this is the worst April Fools joke ever...


What a weird day for weather.  Half the day sunny and beautiful.  The other half was a blizzard.  In between was whatever this is.


It's a good thing Karen didn't see this guy.  Look at his sad little face.  He wants to eat my sandwich so bad.  


"Do de do de do...  Wonder what they are going to do in here next?" About 20 minutes later...


"GOODBYE WALL!"  Who knew making a waiting room for admissions would look so destructively fun?  You never know what will be built or demolished when you walk around Lollypop Farm these days.  Kinda fun


Prince Fielder looks really cozy wearing his snowmobile suit under his uniform during Opening Day up in Minneapolis.  It could be a good year for them.  Just another 161 games to go to see how it ends up.

Went to Sinbad's Restaurant (http://mysinbads.com/) over on Park Ave. this weekend.  Pretty good food.  Probably the quickest food service we've ever received (including fast food places).  It was as if they knew we were coming and what we were going to order.  No pics though, sorry.  No pics of the other fun activities with our friends either.  What a slacker/not allowed.  You poor blog readers have been ripped off...
Hope everyone had a good Easter.

Spring Is the New Summer

Pure joy when it is 70 degrees in mid-March.  Mike's wife can then bring him to Indian Landing School playground.


The wife


HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEE!!!  Notice her puppy shaped flower arrangement


My new favorite corporate logo.  It's for Moonshine BBQ and I can't wait to go here for our 2nd anniversary!


How New Yorkers fix potholes.  


Thank you daylight savings.  Someday, I will run for office and my platform will be solely advocating for daylight savings time to be year round.  And, why not move it ahead two hours?  

Fooooood...

The Land of Lincoln, Birthdays, and Deer

It was Christyn's b-day and we had a HUGE celebration at work!






Rockin' out!


This is "Dirt Cake" made of ground up Oreos by my anonymous boss lady


The birthday girl.


Yep, this will end up on Twitterbook...


The public pool at the forest preserve calling out to us saying "Come on kids! I know it's not that warm yet, but I can still be fun!"


Old washed out bridge in the preserve


In this picture, there are six deer. See if you can find them!




Bambi being scared off by me VERY quietly breaking every stick in the woods sneaking up on it.


My "wife of the future."


Unfortunate for her, I'm her "husband of the future" and I just broke the tree swing...


Megan pondering if there are trolls under the bridge...

PS - The cancelation of the Southside Irish Parade gets a big thumbs down from me. Chicago needs it's own little Mardi Gras to celebrate the end of the bitter winter.