Friday, December 5, 2025

👷‍♂️ Who is the backbone of America? 👷‍♂️

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


👷‍♂️ Building America 👷‍♂️
Acrylic paint on canvas board
16" x 20" (40.6 cm x 50.8 cm)
202511065
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit: 

Each morning I climb toward the sunrise with the same steady purpose that brought me here, carrying the faces of my family on my helmet and the hope that my work helps shape a home for them. The rhythm of lifting shingles and securing each nail feels small on its own, yet together these quiet labors become part of a larger story that hands have written across America. I think about how each roof I finish protects someone’s dreams and how every day spent building lifts me a little closer to my own.

When the light breaks across the sky, I cannot help but wonder what part of the United States we each choose to build with the work of our hands and the direction of our hearts?


Still searching for the perfect holiday gift?

❄️☃️ LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY ART FESTIVAL ☃️❄️

is here to help you find something truly special just in time. Join us for a festive online marketplace filled with creativity, community, and cheer at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1288257772795315

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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Wednesday, November 26, 2025

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving and a warm thank you from me to you! 🍁

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

I am lucky to create artwork that speaks to people. I am lucky to share it with a community that is supportive, encouraging, and full of heart. And I am especially lucky to have you here. Thank you for being part of my creative world and for helping my artwork continue to grow and reach others.

This is the time of year when I slow down, look around, and let myself feel grateful for the people who make my life brighter. A kind word, a shared moment, a simple message from someone can turn an ordinary day into something meaningful. I believe the best relationships are built through small, sincere connections. You have given me many of those moments, and I am thankful for every single one.

Your kindness and support make everything I do possible. Thank you for being you, and thank you for sharing this journey with me. I hope this day brings you comfort, joy, and a sense of connection.

Questions?
 

Your Friend,
Mike Kraus
MikeKrausArt.etsy.com

P.S.: Our 🍁 Grateful Art Festival 🍁 begins on Friday, November 28th, and it is a cheerful way to find thoughtful gifts at wonderful prices. There are games, activities, thousands of artists, and a bright start to the season. You are welcome to join at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1461556485171523


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:

Monday, November 24, 2025

🔥 What does a quiet fire help you remember? 🔥

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🔥 The Fire #601 🔥
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
202511064
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit:

A late evening at the fire pit is a time for quiet acknowledgment of the past, gentle dreaming of future possibilities, and deep appreciation for the moment now. Enjoying a cold drink and a sweet marshmallow s'more, we share stories of former acts and beliefs that once shaped us, finding both entertainment and enlightenment in the shared experience. As we listen to each other and the reassuring cracks and pops of the flames, this peaceful reflection helps us prepare to embrace a better tomorrow.

When you gather with your loved ones, what cherished moments of reflection shape your future path?

🦃 Grateful Art Festival 🦃

Right after Thanksgiving we gather to celebrate the best time of the year for artists, makers, and collectors. This festival is your chance to discover treasures for yourself and meaningful gifts for the people you love.

Explore a dazzling variety of hand crafted creations in ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography, wood, fiber, metal, wearable art, digital works, paintings, prints and so much more. With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artist Sunday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday all in one week, the Grateful Art Festival is the perfect way to shop with purpose, support creativity, and fill your holidays with beauty.


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, November 21, 2025

🌊 Have you ever stood at the edge of the world and felt like you are part of something larger? 🌊

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🌊 Reid State Park, Maine #600 🌊
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
202511063
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit:

I remember the feel of the cool Atlantic breeze on my skin as I navigated the rocky coastline of Reid State Park, the rhythm of my steps matching the steady crash of waves against the granite ledges. The air was fresh and clean, carrying the salty scent of the sea and the quiet calls of gulls circling overhead. From atop Griffith Head, the view was a breathtaking expanse of blue water, with several distant lighthouses standing sentinel against the horizon, a sight that quieted my mind and eased away the stress of the week. There was a unique sense of peace and natural wonder in that solitary hike, a profound feeling of being in a truly special place.

Does the thought of exploring such a rugged, beautiful coastline speak to your own sense of adventure?

🟥⬜️🟦 NOW OPEN!!! 🟥⬜️🟦
🟥⬜️🟦 Fall of Freedom: Join the Movement! 🟥⬜️🟦

This November 21–22, artists everywhere are uniting to celebrate creativity as an act of courage and connection.

We believe art is truth, empathy, and voice. When we create, we remind the world what it means to feel free and what is lost when that freedom is threatened. The Fall of Freedom campaign unites galleries, libraries, and online communities in a celebration of creative resistance. Share your work and tell us what freedom means to you.

🖼️ Art matters. Artists matter. Freedom matters.


&

🦃 Grateful Art Festival 🦃

Right after Thanksgiving we gather to celebrate the best time of the year for artists, makers, and collectors. This festival is your chance to discover treasures for yourself and meaningful gifts for the people you love.

Explore a dazzling variety of hand crafted creations in ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography, wood, fiber, metal, wearable art, digital works, paintings, prints and so much more. With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artist Sunday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday all in one week, the Grateful Art Festival is the perfect way to shop with purpose, support creativity, and fill your holidays with beauty.


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:

Monday, November 17, 2025

🦔 If you found a hedgehog curled up in your garden, what would you do first? 🦔

 Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🦔 Lookin' Sharp, Hedgehog #599 🦔
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
202511062
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit:

I know I look small curled up in my little ball of quills, but I promise I am braver than I seem. The world is a big place for a hedgehog like me, and I spend my nights wandering through tall grass and quiet shadows, listening to the tiny rustles of beetles and distant owls. Lately my paths have become harder, with fewer safe bushes and more bright lights and fences where open space used to be. So if you ever see a hedgehog like me shuffling across a yard or near a garden, thank you for slowing down and for leaving a little wildness in your world. A bit of long grass, a small gap in a fence, or even just a softer step makes all the difference. I may be tiny, but every act of kindness helps my whole little world feel safe enough to curl up and breathe.

🟥⬜️🟦 Fall of Freedom: Join the Movement! 🟥⬜️🟦

This November 21–22, artists everywhere are uniting to celebrate creativity as an act of courage and connection.

We believe art is truth, empathy, and voice. When we create, we remind the world what it means to feel free and what is lost when that freedom is threatened. The Fall of Freedom campaign unites galleries, libraries, and online communities in a celebration of creative resistance. Share your work and tell us what freedom means to you.

🖼️ Art matters. Artists matter. Freedom matters.


&

🦃 Grateful Art Festival 🦃

Right after Thanksgiving we gather to celebrate the best time of the year for artists, makers, and collectors. This festival is your chance to discover treasures for yourself and meaningful gifts for the people you love.

Explore a dazzling variety of hand crafted creations in ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography, wood, fiber, metal, wearable art, digital works, paintings, prints and so much more. With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artist Sunday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday all in one week, the Grateful Art Festival is the perfect way to shop with purpose, support creativity, and fill your holidays with beauty.


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, November 14, 2025

🌞🌳 Do you remember the stillness just before night falls? 🌳🌞

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🌞🌳 Twilight Woods 🌳🌞
acrylic paint on canvas board
8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm)
202511060
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your home, please visit:

Where this path will end is a mystery. The trees rustle in the breeze stirring up the aromas of the forest. A freshness one always has to remind themselves of in civilization. The light refracts in strange ways at this time. It's when the surreal becomes the real.

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?

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


🍂🍁 Fall of Freedom: Join the Movement! 🍁🍂

This November 21–22, artists everywhere are uniting to celebrate creativity as an act of courage and connection.

We believe art is truth, empathy, and voice. When we create, we remind the world what it means to feel free and what is lost when that freedom is threatened. The Fall of Freedom campaign unites galleries, libraries, and online communities in a celebration of creative resistance. Share your work and tell us what freedom means to you.

🖼️ Art matters. Artists matter. Freedom matters.


&

🦃 Grateful Art Festival 🦃

Right after Thanksgiving we gather to celebrate the best time of the year for artists, makers, and collectors. This festival is your chance to discover treasures for yourself and meaningful gifts for the people you love.

Explore a dazzling variety of hand crafted creations in ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography, wood, fiber, metal, wearable art, digital works, paintings, prints and so much more. With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artist Sunday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday all in one week, the Grateful Art Festival is the perfect way to shop with purpose, support creativity, and fill your holidays with beauty.


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:

Monday, November 10, 2025

🩷 What if joy was as easy as a bite of something soft and sweet? 🩷

Brightscapes: The Way To Beauty


🩷 Brownie Points #598 🩷
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
202511061
© copyright Mike Kraus Art Inc.
To purchase for your collection, please visit:

The first bite of a brownie always makes me pause. Warm, soft in the center, with a little crumble at the edge, it tastes like comfort and kindness. For a moment, all the noise in my head quiets and life feels simple again. It is not just sweetness, but a reminder to slow down and savor what is good. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to hold that feeling close a little longer?

Step into the holiday season with joy, creativity, and gratitude at the

🦃 Grateful Art Festival 🦃

Right after Thanksgiving we gather to celebrate the best time of the year for artists, makers, and collectors. This festival is your chance to discover treasures for yourself and meaningful gifts for the people you love.

Explore a dazzling variety of hand crafted creations in ceramics, jewelry, glass, photography, wood, fiber, metal, wearable art, digital works, paintings, prints and so much more. With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Artist Sunday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday all in one week, the Grateful Art Festival is the perfect way to shop with purpose, support creativity, and fill your holidays with beauty.


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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