Kayla Koeune of Inferno Art Studio

     So many brilliant sites to see and so little time. This is my second time visiting this amazing historic city driven by the character of an older world, a world I long to go back in time to be a part of. Roughly 16 million people flood into Florence each year to take in the masterminds that molded this culture. Charlie and I are here at the end of tourist season and I highly reccomend planning a trip to this fabled country in October. The weather is wonderful, mid 70’s, which makes walking around all day quite a bit more comfortable. The lines, to enter the museums, are about 30 to 60 minutes if you didn’t book your tickets in advance, which in reality isn’t too bad considering the amount of people walking around. I couldn’t imagine what the waits would be like in the height of the season. Although I chose to hang out in the queues, if you buy the tickets online a couple of days prior you can pick which time you enter for only a minimal up charge on the ticket. ( http://ww

  Inferno Art Studio is proud to announce its first open studio show featuring the "Art of Maps". The show will open in December 16th with private showings available upon appointment. This series was inspired by my love of travel and adventure. I spend many hours fondly pouring over maps in search of the unbeaten path. Reading maps for me is as intoxicating as diving into an epic novel or expertly written screen play. Creating a map is intricate with tons of small details and all sorts of elements to explore. From filigree to ships and compasses to elaborate labels the art or of the maps offers so much to explore that parallels my addiction of travel.   The series includes 9 two dimensional works of art to include 5 oil paintings and 4 ink and stain pieces. The hand drawn/ painted maps feature world, country, regional and historical subject matters. All the works are embellished and themed based on historic map illustration technique and traditions. The images within th

A few years back my best friend and I took a two week trip to Thailand, and needless to say this country offers entertainment for all types of people. Meghan and I, being people who like to try it all, found ourselves in all sorts of situations, both amazing and life threatening. We did a loop of travel from Bangkok to Phuket and back where her mother was amazing enough to purchase us plane tickets. I have a love of trains, so like a stubborn fool, I took the trading down and a good person would have just gotten on the plane when someone is amazing enough to do something nice fore you. I returned with them on the plane but I still own Meghan's mom for the amazing gesture.   Phuket was a beautiful vacation oasis, and seeing as though this was not to long after the tsunami, the beaches were clear and clean. I was supposed to be doing a triathlon but instead I laid in sand sipping dark rum drinks and enjoying the stress free life. This was a great place to just walk and m

  No matter where he is going my husband, Charlie, counts miles. I think this is reminiscent of his bicycle racing days or his addictive personality, but no matter where he picked it up, Charlie is always racking his brain about how many miles he has put under his belt. It is personal pride in the thing he loves which is an inspiring thing to watch for many of us. When he decided to enter the Peaks to Plains summer long mileage contest, where the winner received a motorcycle, I thought oh great... here we go just put the alcoholic right in the bar why don't ya!   He was concerned he wouldn't be able to do well considering we were getting married this summer and that combined with being out of the country for the honey moon would put him 3 weeks behind everyone, especially Louise. Louise and Charlie are one in the same and that's why I love them both. They both count miles, they both like to win, and they both entered the contest. Louise was his biggest concern right up

 It's always fun to bring a new challenge and goal into your work. The Motor Mural I painted in Loveland Colorado was the most fun I've had painting in a long time. Although this image was a commission and heavily influence by David Mann at the patrons request, it was a pleasure to be challenged to make art from a ladder. I have wanted to break into the mural world for some time now and have been working up to larger public works. I have done large scale paintings and a few installations murals but this was my 2nd true mural and I must admit I'm addicted.   You spend most of your time designing the image on a screen in your studio knowing you will be making the image on scaffolding and ladders with limited amounts of time. The temperature is out of your control and once the painted is cracked you know you will be working around the clock in order to get it done in a timely fashion. When someone watches your process it can be nerve wracking because lets face it some of t

  One of my favorite things to do in Colorado is overnight backpacking trips. The physical challange, the sense of accomplishment and the quiet relaxation are all food for the soul! On this occasion Charlie and I decided to take the Jasper Lake trail, just out side of Nederland, a place where many spectacular trails begin. The total trip length is a moderate 9 mile round trip with just under 2000 feet total elevation gain. In my opinion trails of this length are perfect for an overnight camping trip as you are able to get up to the top early enough to enjoy the quiet wilderness.   The trail starts at the Hessie Trailhead and takes you though the Indian Peaks Wilderness with epic views of Mt Jasper, Mt Neva and Klondike Mountain in the distance. The ascent is pretty even most of the way up with only a few moderate switchbacks as you wind through meadows and dense woods. We went up this trail in June, this time of year you will need a permit and I have to admit we forgot to secure s

  When Charlie and I travel we rarely do the proper "Tourist Activities", but with a lack of transportation we were inspired to experience the Isle of Skye by the fullest effect of the tourist industry. Don't get me wrong we are tourists everywhere we go but this time we decided to do a small group tour through Happy Tours Scotland called the "Isle of Skye Full-Day Tour from Inverness". John, our tour guide, was amazing! He was hilarious and knew the history of the area inside and out. He had such a confidence in his lecture, that at one point a tour guide from a different company came up to him to ask about the site we were at. Nothing better than to be shown about by a man in a kilt who was so proud of the area in which he was from.   The First place we stopped on our day trip was the Eileen Donna Castle. The Castle sits just off the rocky shore and peering upon her feels like being taken back to the times of Scottish warriors. Although her brick facade

  The rich colors of Scotland are something I've never seen before. Around every bend is an image from a fairytale or the epic novels of Tolkien. When we first arrived in Glasgow the taxi ride leaving the city felt as if I was going through the rolling farmlands and dispersed wood of Wisconsin. It wasn't until we started heading north that I felt like I was leaving the country. As the road started twisting, the green and purple mountains pierced through the misty sky and I knew I was in a new magical frontier, the place of Lock Ness and Braveheart.   Based on what I had read I was prepared to see hills but the word hill is a gross understatement and an injustice to the landscape of the Highlands. These were mountains, maybe not mountains to rival the altitude of the Rockies but the gains in altitude with the wild colors on the rocky faces was just as impressive. Ben Nevis, the tallest peak in mainland Scotland, stands at 4400 feet and I feel it is similar to climbing some of t