Monday, March 1, 2021

Latest Spring Fashions

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty 


Latest Spring Fashions #417
pen, ink, and graphite on Bristol paper
2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 
NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION
202103014
© copyright Mike Kraus

The thing about other people is when they breathe, cough, and talk their infected droplets get into your mouth, nose, and eyes. Eventually those droplets get into your lungs. That can happen from 6 feet away. Ew! We can create a style with a higher standard - i.e., a pop of color or a pattern. By covering your nose and mouth, you are telling the world you have loved ones with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, have/survived cancer, or 50+ year old parents/grandparents. You are saying "I love my family and friends and I don't want them to die alone on a ventilator drowning in their own lungs.

With only one mask, you need to take every opportunity to make it count. What's the best way to do this? Well, find a mask that fits your personality at: https://zenanomask.com/collections/all.  Luckily, there are so many exceptional piece that won't break the bank. This includes beautiful masks with original Mike Kraus Art (https://society6.com/mikekraus/masks). With over 200 designs, there's a fun and creative piece just for you. Check out our sexy selection of statement-making masks, all at an affordable price at: https://zenanomask.com/collections/all  


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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Friday, February 26, 2021

Taco 'Bout Awesome

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Taco 'Bout Awesome
acrylic paint on canvas board
5" x 7" (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm)
202102013
© copyright Mike Kraus
Many Mexicans remained in the southwest after the invasion of the Mexican-American War.  While the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised Mexicans and Native Americans in the captured territory US citizenship, they lost their civil and political rights for at least 120 years.  From this came a group of women entrepreneurs called "Chili Queens" that sold tacos as street vendors, an easy to make meal for the silver miners of 18th century Mexico.  When the railroads came in the 1880s, the tourist sought out the Chili Queen's tacos just as much as any other attraction.  From there, tacos evolved to use ingredients available in the United State and the development of food processing; including iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, and tomatoes.  This culinary delight is a tribute to our turbulent shared American history.  And something to remember every time we celebrate Taco Tuesday.


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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Wednesday, February 24, 2021

House on Île d'Orléans

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


 House on Île d'Orléans
acrylic painting on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
© copyright Mike Kraus

Near Quebec City, in the St. Lawrence River, is the Île d'Orléans.  We spend the day parallel to the coast on Chemin Royal stopping at roadside markets, colonial markets, and wineries.   Seeing where my ancestors settled after leaving France in the 1600s.  We ended the day in Sainte-Pétronille with art galleries, coffee, and chocolate.  Just relaxing and enjoying the view.

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



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Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Board Game Night: Having Fun During COVID-19



Board Game Night: Having Fun During COVID-19

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has meant spending a lot of time with your family, roommate, and other members of your household at home. And that should be "quality time."   And board games are a great way to interact with each other.

1) Getting Together - Make some snacks and beverages and gather your household family/roommates.  Maybe some board game inspired drinks: https://cocktailporter.com.au/blogs/news/cocktails-and-board-games

2) Game Night - Is there a night of the week that's particularly uneventful (I'm looking at you, Wednesday).  Try to set aside some time with everyone to have fun.  If you make it a regular activity, it will be something for everyone to look forward to each week.

3) Collecting Dust - What do you already have in your closet or attic?  Rotate members of your group who selects that week's game.  


4) Game Selection - Obviously, choose a game that allows everyone to participate and is age appropriate.  While digging in your closet, did you notice a pattern with your games?  Were most of them strategy, trivia, guessing, word, or other?  Determine what kind of games your household likes the most.

5) Mail Order Games - If you're like me, you've pretty much memorized all the answers to Trivial Pursuit and looking for something new.  With game selection, we've discovered with both enjoy cooperative strategy games.  And how awesome it is to get a new game in the mail (along with boxes of wine).  A couple personal favorites are:

HuntAKiller.com - It's like a monthly "escape room" at home.  Each month, we receive a box of clues to solve an overall crime at the end of the series.  It comes with evidence props and even a music playlist.  

LuckyDuckGames.com - Has unique interactive games.  We purchased Chronicles of Crime: 1400, which is solving cases from medieval Paris.  It's one game that has multiple stories and variations.  Players use a smartphone to view crime scenes and interview witnesses. 

6) Young Kids - Some suggestions are: Richard Scarry's Busytown, eeBoo Create and Tell Me a Story, Spot It!, Ruckus, Hisss, Candy Land,  Hoot Owl Hoot!, and The Sneaky Sneaky Squirrel.  And remember the classics from our childhood as many of them still exist or can be found on eBay.


7) Older Kids - Some suggestions are: Pictomania, Telestrations, Forbidden Island, Fluxx, Ultimate Werewolf, Escape the room, Ticket To Ride, Apples to Apples, Loonacy, and Machi Koro.  My personal favorites were Pictionary and Balderdash. 

8) Family - Some suggestions are: Santorini, Azul, The Isle of Cats, Exploding Kittens, Labyrinth, Pandemic (no, really), Hedbanz, Articulate, and Mysterium. 

9) Adults - Some suggestions are: Drink-a-palooza, Betrayal at House On the Hill, Rummikub, Codenames, Clue, Hedbanz Adulting, Cards Against Humanity, Catan, Loaded Questions, Risk, Carcassonne, and Scythe. 


10) Classics - Some suggestions are: chess, cards (countless games), checkers, dominoes, Cribbage, Trivial Pursuit, Password, Taboo, Scattergories, Sorry!, Traffic Jam, Cranium, Qwirkle, Jenga, Boggle, Don't Break the Ice, Twister, Agricola, Chinese checkers, Axis and Allies, Battleship, Monopoly, Game of Life, Scrabble, Stratego, Backgammon, Blokus, Connect Four, Operation, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Mouse Trap, Mastermind, Uno, Chutes and Ladders, Trouble, Yahtzee, Catchphrase, Speak Out, Mad Gab, Sequences, and Dominion.

11) Tournaments - My friends and I use to play tournament-style when we played 2-player board games or video games.  For example, we had four people that would pair off.  With a quick game like checkers we'd play best of 3 games.  The two winners of those games would play best of 5 games.  

12) Online Games With Those Outside Your Home - Here are some game ideas: SongPop, Heads Up Houseparty, Ticket To Ride, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart Tour, Coin Master, Harry Potter: Hogwarts mystery, Exploding Kittens, Words With Friends, Werewolf, Jackbox, Scrabble, Clue, Marvel Strike Force, Fortnite, Golf Battle, Quiz Up, Scattergories, Fishdom, and so many more!!!


AND DON'T FORGET TO HAVE FUN! And, please feel free to contact if you have any questions or suggestions!

Health and Safety Considerations for gathering:
1) No indoor activities
2) No sharing bathrooms
3) Wash hands before and after gathering. Don't touch your face.
4) Bring your own food, snacks, drinks, and utensils.
5) Do not attend if you have asthma, heart disease, diabetes, overweight, have/survived cancer, or 50+ year old.
6) Do not attend if you have or have had Coronavirus or showing symptoms (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html).
7) Wear a mask and practice social distancing (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/social-distancing.html)
8) Limit attendance. Check local health department for guidelines and restrictions.
9) Talk with everyone about comfort levels. Expect and allow non-participation and last minute cancellations.

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
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/MikeKraus/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikekrausart
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mkraus
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MikeKrausBlog

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Monday, February 22, 2021

Twilight Woods

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Twilight Woods #415
gouache paint on Bristol paper
2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 
NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION
202102010

This artist trading card or ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) is frameable, collectible, enjoyable and can be given as a special gift for a birthday, wedding, new baby, anniversary, thank you or other occasion.  It is a one-of-a-kind original work of art, NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION. It is signed on the back and lends itself to framing in a standard trading card frame or book.


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, February 19, 2021

Los Angeles Alley

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Los Angeles Alley
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202102011
© copyright Mike Kraus
To purchase, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/246241892/los-angeles-alley-original-acrylic

Los Angeles is an attractive beacon of optimism.  What started as a Spanish colony of 11 people has exploded into a population of 18.7 million people.  The Chinese came to build the railroads, African Americans seeking better opportunities after World War II, Koreans to be entrepreneurial shopkeepers, Latinos who founded and built the city, along with countless other people from around the globe.  Los Angeles' diversity and openness to the world has made it the 3rd largest metropolitan economy.  Behind the thin veneer of glamour is the hard work of millions of good people.

This painting would look best in a space that is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, 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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Wednesday, February 17, 2021

The Loblolly Pine

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


The Loblolly Pine
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
© copyright Mike Kraus

There's a cool breeze blowing through the humid lowland swamp.  The scent of rosemary mixes with the aroma of the moist acidic clay soil.  The towering Loblolly Pine slightly sways in the wind.  There's a thud of green pine cones at random intervals.  The sun retreats into the hills after another day of blistering heat.  

This piece would look best in a small-to-medium space that is dark red, light orange, yellow, dark green, light blue, light purple, black, white, 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.



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