Friday, February 23, 2024

Just 78 Years Since...

 


Stuck in traffic on 490 in Rochester, New York, my eyes linger on a hot pink billboard.  It says, "We're just 78 years since the gas chambers.  So no, a billboard calling out Jew hate isn't an overreaction."  How do I feel about this?

What if I were afraid of cruelty and violence in my own home?  Worried for the safety of my children, friends, and family?  Not because of something I did, but for only being me.  Could I count on you to be a friend?  People like us should be sharing kindness, right?

Sometimes, we can feel alone.  But we are a community of friends and neighbors.  In the end, we all want to be happy.  So many of us are feeling anxious.  And I want you to know how much I appreciate you and that so many of us care.

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Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Vision Quest V

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Vision Quest V
2014 © copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: 

There's a valley between the dunes with a cluster of birches.  Their white bark clinging to the trunks of the unusual trees.  A gentle breeze wrestles the leaves to mimic the waves on the sea.  This is where I go when my heart beats too fast and my breathing is labored.  It is a place of calm.

How do you relax?  Is it making a nice meal after a long day?  Maybe it's setting aside some time for exercise or yoga?  Or quietly cuddling with your dog on the sofa.  We all need time to take care of ourselves.


Vision Quest V
2014 © copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: 


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:
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Monday, February 19, 2024

Mackinac Memories

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Mackinac Memories
acrylic paint on canvas board
16" x 20" (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm) 
202308055
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: 

Days start early on the dock.  We're still preparing for a long day of ferrying and the passengers are already lining up.  Back-and-forth passing the Round Island Passage Light countless times.  Always in awe of the Grand Hotel.  A part of a shipping tradition that has lasted 138+ years.  And I'm proud to be a part of that heritage.

Is there a place you go to relax? Is it wide-open or cozy? What do you see, hear, smell, and feel when you are there? Is it a place where you can be by yourself? What about it makes you feel good?


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:
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Friday, February 16, 2024

Bluff Point From the East Side of Keuka Lake

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Bluff Point From the East Side of Keuka Lake
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202402001
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your cottage, please visit: https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/209759699

Sometimes, living in Upstate New York is like living in a postcard. Every trail we hike reveals the beauty of nature. Dense forests give way to open fields. We find a comfortable spot to snack and take in all the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the lake. "If this isn't nice, what is?"

Where is your favorite place? Who do you go there with? Why is it so special to you? How does it make you feel?


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:
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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Lavender Farm

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty

Lavender Farm
© copyright 2015 Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/1673520849

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.

When was the last time you were truly relaxed?  You were without a care, no expectations, and free from electronic devices?  Maybe you were hiking, gardening, or reading a book with a cup of coffee.  When do you get to feel like you?  We have a lot to be grateful for.

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


Lavender Farm
© copyright 2015 Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/1673499643

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:
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Monday, February 12, 2024

Jazz Martini

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty



Jazz Martini
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202310069
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: 

Weekends are for relaxing after a difficult week.  All the mundane burdens are to be forgotten for a couple days.  The sounds of The George Shearing Quintet spinning on the record player.  A shaker of gin and vermouth rattles into a glass.  A perfect moment.

ARTS o’ MAGAZINE:
💚☕🚚 An Enchanting Evening At the Golden Ticket 🚚☕💚:

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:
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Friday, February 9, 2024

Sunset Sherbert Birch Forest

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty



Sunset Sherbert Birch Forest
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
201911110
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit: https://mikekrausart.etsy.com/listing/234446654/sunset-sherbert-birch-forest-original

I count my breaths as I enter the woods.  It calms my thoughts and helps me to relax.  The chaos and cravings of the world evaporate with every step.  If you're fortunate enough to find the mysterious pass, then you enter into paradise.  This is the magic of the forest.

Do you feel your life is balanced? Why or why not? And what impact will it have on you next year?

This painting would look best in a small-to-medium space that is red, orange, yellow, green, dark blue, purple, white, black, grey, 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 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:
at No comments:
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