Kayla Koeune of Inferno Art Studio

Labor Day Weekend at the Museum It has been a few years since I have shown art at the Harley Museum so when I found out Heyltje Rose was going this year I jumped on the chance to share a booth with her. Our hand crafted motorcycle goods have a tendency to compliment each other rather well and, with the added bonus of seeing her face for a week, it made the prospect of the journey irresistible. So with quite a bit of preparation I loaded up the Art mobile and drove to Milwaukee to Hustle Art during the 115th Anniversary party. A few things changed this time around. Firstly, the museum extended the hours of operation so we had to be present from 9-9. Pretty long days, which denied us the opportunity to visit friends, but at least we got to spend a lot of time together to catch up and developed some pretty stellar ideas. I would tell you about our magic brain children but sometimes the million dollar ideas needs to be kept secret. Haha...  Secondly and most imp...

This is a brief st ep by step instructional on creating an ink drawing done with a method that I have enjoyed since college. I used stained paper because I feel it add a depth that brings the drawing to life. It also adds a subtle movement to the piece that allows the eye to travel through the piece by the organic shapes. So let’s get to it. First I lay out several pieces of paper on a surface that I don’t mind getting dirty or that has an easy clean up. Here are 6 sheets of paper on my garage floor. Only about 3 or 4 pieces of this paper will be able to be used as the method is pretty random and the pattern in which the stain is laid down may not meld to the subject. Next I grab some cold coffee and go Jackson Pollock on the pieces. This is the funnest part all the splattering and flicking and rolling. I also press the pieces together to flatten out some of the splatter. After the pieces have fully dried it is time to line the the drawing platform and sketch o...

A Weekend in the LBC Every now and again a person’s batteries need to be recharged. For me there are a few things that are better to do that than being around other creative and motivated women. A couple of months ago I got to paint on the beach, see the wonderful metamorphosis of Heyltje’s shop, eat amazing food, and learn to weld at Jessi’s shop. I was able to make a wonderful weekend fully of production. For a brief, yet impactful, time in my life I lived in Longbeach. I crashed in Jessi’s shop and harassed Heyltje every moment I could. Both places provided so much creative energy I felt, as an artist, I could take over the world. My time there represented a huge change and priority shift in my life. The party time was fading to the background as my desire to pursue art finally took the forefront. For the longest time I couldn’t find the focus to define where I was going with my art, but being there with them helped me define my path and ambition. Spending a weekend i...

The Art of the Portrait  One of the most challenging subject matters, in my opinion, is the human face. The multitude of colors found in the flesh is as diverse as all the colors found in this world. Combine that with the tiny details of wrinkles and freckle and the intricacy of the major features and you have a feat that can have you lost for years. I fine myself asking on several occasions through the process... is it done yet, or shall I go further? How realistic do I want to go? Should it look like paint or should it look photorealistic? If its going to push photorealism why not just take a picture and print it. So yes I fine portraits to be a challenge... but a challenge well rewarded when I feel I have gotten it right. I typically start my paintings by laying an under painting that is either a neutral ground or something that is bright and opposite of what I am painting. I suppose the base of my paintings depends on my mood or I discovered a color that gives a ...

100 Colorado Landscapes    This  project is a collection of watercolors inspired by my desire to get to know the natural world that surrounds me. This Series is dedicated to the great outdoors of colorful Colorado. 100 scenic views from all over the region have been chosen. Special attention had been taken to explore the rural and hard to reach corners of this rugged state. From mountains and forests to lakes and grasslands these landscapes explore the possibilities of a medium that is new to me. I have spent my art career up to this point working predominately in ink and oil painting and decided it is time to master a paint that is conducive to travel.  The watercolors in this series are each 4 inches by 6 inches on watercolor paper. The pieces are numbered in order of their production and were started on 20 January 2018. Each Piece will be available for  purchase once the series is complete but I will take early reservations if there is one that st...

     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 ticke...

 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...

LABOR DAY 2015 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM ART SHOW!! THURSDAY SEPT 3RD - 6TH    Live Art and Art on display by Heyltje Rose and Myself on Artists Row! I'll be wielding brushes and ink while she works the magic in leather and metal! www.heyltjerose.com Taking it Easy  BOOK SIGNING!! SATURDAY SEPT 5 AND 6TH FROM 1-4PM   Jessi Combs, the fastest woman on 4 wheels, and I will be signing our new children's book "Joey and the Chopper Boys"! This will be our second signing of the fully illustrated book and we are so excited to see yours personalized for your little one! Thank you again to everyone who made it to the event in Sturgis. We couldn't have been happier with the turnout and Support!! "Joey and the Chopper Boys" Direct Link ROGUES GALLERY  LIVE ART FRIDAY SEPT 4TH FROM 9PM TILL THE DOORS CLOSE I will be laying down some live art at this wonderful spot in downtown milwaukee. I will have selected pie...

By  Maureen Mulhern , Caggio Blog Contributor February 2011 • Milwaukee, Wisconsin 
 This show is sponsored by BelAir Cantina This week I visited the studio of Kayla Koeune, Caggio's featured artist for February/March. Her show opens today (February 18th - March 20th). I chatted with the emerging artist and UW-Milwaukee graduate, interested to learn more about her emotive figurative representations; unedited, richly painted and intimate. In this very personal series of paintings, Koeune explores ideas of self and relationships-- merging memories and keen observation-- focusing on the dark, passionate, and compelling side of raw emotion. In addition, she investigates the classical origins of figure drawing and portraiture, applying a contemporary interpretation. Lastly, Koeune challenges perception with an unorthodox and multifaceted point of view.For Koeune, drawing and painting the human figure has been a lifetime pursuit. What is key for the art...