Friday, August 29, 2025

🌞🌊 Goodnight Summer: A Lake Michigan Farewell 🌊🌞

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🌞🌊 Sun Setting On Lake Michigan 🌊🌞
Museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home or office, please visit: 

The last bit of sun melts into the horizon, the water ripples of gold and copper, and I feel the sand still warm beneath my toes even as the breeze starts to cool. The air is thick with the scent of lake water and driftwood, and for a moment everything feels suspended, like the world has slowed down just to let me breathe it in. Behind me, I hear laughter float across the shoreline, a reminder that the night is only just beginning. 

Do you have a favorite memory of watching the sun disappear into the water?

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

🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike—the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
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Monday, August 25, 2025

☕️ What’s brewing in your cup of comfort today? ☕️

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


☕️ The Morning Cup of Tea #589 ☕️
pen, ink, and colored pencil on Bristol paper
2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 
NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION
202508040
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit:


Every morning I find myself reaching for that first cup of tea, cradling it in both hands as the steam rises and the air feels soft and hushed. The warmth seeps through the porcelain and into my palms, almost like it is reminding me to slow down before the day gathers speed. There is a sweetness in those first sips that feels like an invitation to breathe and be present.

What is the simple ritual that helps you ease into your day?

🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
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Friday, August 22, 2025

🐔🌮 A Taco Always Chickens Out 🌮🐔

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🐔🌮 Chicken Taco 🌮🐔 
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202508035
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit:

The humble taco has always been more than just food, it is survival, ingenuity, and joy wrapped in a warm tortilla. In the wake of wars and broken promises, Mexican and Indigenous families kept their cultures alive through flavors that could not be silenced, selling sizzling tacos on street corners where the smell of grilled meat and fresh cilantro hung in the night air. Tourists once came chasing the Chili Queens, but it was really resilience they were tasting, layered with spice and history. While some people always shrink away from truth, culture never chickens out.

This piece would look best in a small-to-medium space that is yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, gray, or wood.


🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
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Thursday, August 21, 2025

🩷 What if the words you surrounded yourself with became the fuel for your next chapter? 🩷


🩷 Inspirational Wall Art Prints 🩷
Set of 9 digital downloads of art prints
To purchase for your home, please visit:

I hang these reminders where I can see them every day. They tell me to rest without guilt, to choose progress over perfection, to start small but start anyway. They remind me that peace is worth protecting and that even one small shift can change my direction. When I pause and really take them in, I feel lighter, braver, more myself. It is like each phrase is a gentle hand on my back, urging me forward.

I wonder—what words do you need to hear today?

🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

Anna's Story
Inspired by Life By Design—my journey as an author and coach—I created this online art store to empower you to live intentionally. We craft motivational artwork to spark joy, purpose, and growth in your everyday spaces. At Life By Design, we’re committed to exceptional quality, a positive experience, and uplifting everyone involved—our customers, artists, and partners. Thank you for choosing Life By Design to bring meaningful art into your life. We can’t wait to help you design a life you love, one piece at a time.

For more information, please visit:
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Tuesday, August 19, 2025

💛👁️ Where Golden Light Dreams 👁️💛


💛👁️ Golden Eye Bracelet 👁️💛
Noelle Fran
To purchase for your neck, please visit: 

August always feels like a turning point.  Heat lingering in the air, golden light stretching long into the evenings, and a strange mix of endings and beginnings. I slip on my Golden Eye bracelet and it feels like carrying a secret charm, a quiet guardian watching over me.

The golden calcite glows like bottled sunlight, whispering courage to my restless thoughts, sparking little sparks of creativity when I’m tired. The green aventurine feels gentler, like soft moss under bare feet reminding me to breathe deeply, to trust love, to find confidence in the quiet parts of myself.

Sometimes I think the eye in the center sees what I can’t: possibility, renewal, the paths I’m too afraid to step onto. It’s less jewelry and more a reminder that magic can live in the smallest things we carry close.

And maybe that’s what August is about… learning to trust what’s already within me.

About Noelle Fran:
Creating allows my imagination to express itself.  And is also very soothing. I have always liked to create.  First to transform everyday life and my environment.  Then to share my creations with others

Connect With Noelle Fran at:
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Monday, August 18, 2025

☕️🐶 Breaking News: Puppy Opens Her Own Café 🐶☕️

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


☕️🐶 Home Cafe #588 🐶☕️
pen, ink, and colored pencil on Bristol paper
2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 
NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION
202508038
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit: 

Every morning, I’m the one making coffee. But Scout has been running her own café. She’s posted up at the window seat, tongue out, tail wagging, waiting for her usual order: a Barkaccino with extra froth. And she’s far too invested in catching up on the news — which features all the latest chipmunk activities. It’s a silly little scene from our living room, but also a reminder of what “home” feels like: warm, funny, a little chaotic, and better with coffee (and pets).

Who in your household is really running the morning routine—you, or your furry family member?

🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
at No comments:

Friday, August 15, 2025

🌞 Twilight Over the Land of the Free 🌞

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🌞 Sun Setting On America 🌞
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202508036
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit:

There’s a moment at the end of every day when the sky puts on its final show. The colors explode. Everything looks more alive just before it disappears. And then it happens. The light slips below the edge and we are left wondering how long we have until it returns. That tension between beauty and loss. Between what we were and what we might become if we are not careful. The sun does not wait for us. It simply moves on.

Hold on to the light while we still have it. And prepare for the morning.

This piece would look best in a medium space that is dark yellow, green, blue, light purple, black, white, grey, or wood.


🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike—the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
at 1 comment:

Monday, August 11, 2025

🌞 What If One Breath Could Turn You Into the Sun? 🌞

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🌞 Moment She Became the Sun #587 🌞
pen, ink, and colored pencil on Bristol paper
2.5" x 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) 
NOT A PRINT OR REPRODUCTION
202508037
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit: 

She stood in that golden light with her eyes closed, feeling the warmth soak into her skin as if the sun itself had leaned down to whisper her name. The air around her shimmered, carrying the faint scent of wildflowers and the hum of unseen wings, and for a moment she was not flesh and bone but pure energy, spilling out into the world. She felt the quiet power of roots deep in the earth and the fearless reach of branches stretching toward the horizon. It was in that stillness that she realized she was no longer waiting to be healed, because she had become the healer.

Have you ever felt a moment so alive that you knew you were becoming something new?

🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
at No comments:

Friday, August 8, 2025

👷‍♀️ Where the Real Work Gets Done 👷‍♀️

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


👷‍♀️ Chicago Alley 👷‍♀️
202508034
acrylic paint on canvas board
16" x 20" (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm) 
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: 

The "L" train shrieks overhead as this alley hums quietly beneath it cluttered with voices, colors, and painted thick over bricks and concrete. There’s a raw electricity here, like the hum of power lines overhead or the rumble of a garbage truck making its last pass. You can almost smell the hot pavement and faded beer from a forgotten corner store, while a coyote seem to be having a whispered conversation about survival and freedom. This isn’t the part of the city shown in postcards, but it might be the part that tells the truth. 

What about your neighborhood—does it tell the truth, or just keep up appearances?

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


🍁 Calling All Art Lovers! 🍁

Get ready for the Awesome Autumn Art Festival—the coziest, craftiest, most joyfully creative online event of the season! Whether you're here to shop unique, sell your amazing work, or just soak in the good vibes, this is THE place to be. Think colorful finds, handmade magic, and a community that actually cares about art.

So grab your pumpkin spice and click that RSVP—because this fall, we’re making art the main event at:  👉 https://www.facebook.com/events/1046518944308485

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike—the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
at No comments:

Friday, August 1, 2025

✉📮 Living in a Postcard Moment 📮✉

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🌳🌊 Bluff Point From the East Side of Keuka Lake 🌊🌳
Museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home or office, please visit: 

Sometimes, living in Upstate New York feels like stepping into a dream you didn’t know you missed; especially on days like this, hiking Keuka Lake. The air smells like maple and warm earth, the water sparkles like scattered glass, and every bend in the trail offers a little more peace. We found a sunny patch just off the path, sat down with snacks and silence, and let the lake do all the talking. If this isn’t nice, what is?

Where’s your go-to escape? The place that always brings you back to yourself?

Are you looking to grow your art collection without breaking the bank? Join us for the Artist Trading Card (& small art) Festival (Aug 4–6, 2025) — a vibrant virtual event where you can BUY, SELL, TRADE, and SHARE original mini masterpieces with artists from around the world. Handcrafted, affordable, and full of personality — it’s everything your collection didn’t know it needed. ✨ 👉 Are you ready to find your next tiny treasure?  RSVP at: https://www.facebook.com/events/582766991295652

My Story
Hi, I’m Mike—the artist of Mike Kraus Art Inc.

I’ve been making art since I could hold a crayon. As a kid, I’d fill every notebook, homework margin, and scrap of paper with doodles. I sold my first artwork in junior high, sketching in class and handing off pieces between periods. That early love for making things never faded. I followed it all the way to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and eventually, I decided to stop treating art as a side hustle and make it my life’s work.

My paintings are full of energy, motion, and saturated color. I’m drawn to bold shapes and organic lines—forms that feel alive. I create with the hope that my work brings something beautiful and uplifting into someone’s day. Whether it’s a spark of joy, a moment of calm, or just a splash of color that makes you pause—I want my art to connect with something real.

Now, I’m lucky enough to paint full-time, with collectors across the U.S. and in dozens of countries around the world. But more than anything, I still feel like that kid with a crayon, excited to create. I’m grateful to share this journey with you—and I hope you find something in my work that makes your world a little brighter.

For more information or custom order, please visit:
at No comments:
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