Kayla Koeune of Inferno Art Studio

100 Colorado Landscapes A Collection of Watercolors by Artist: Kayla Koeune Now available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble Paperback Hardcover Starting a new series is like taking that first step up the side of a mountain. You know what general outcome you would like to see and I suppose you also know the general direction you are headed to, but there is a lot of uncertainty. Question that popped up in my head where to start, how to start, how many in the series, how big should the art be, who cares if I paint them, and who am I trying to reach and why. I must say this is a series I did for myself and my personal exploration of the new surroundings of living in Colorado. I wanted to challenge myself so I choose a number that was large enough to take dedication but not too substantial that I would quit before the journey began. I have a love of the great outdoors so a series of landscapes seemed like a pretty natural subject, plus in a state full of dynamic lan...

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...

Treacherous Trail So I am new to backpacking in the mountains but I can tell you I cannot get enough of it. I love being in the wild. It’s quiet and you’re alone among the trees and the breeze, yet it is loud and you are never alone all at the same time. A couple days ago I attempted to do an over night up near Rogers Pass with my dog. I will preface this with the fact that Freda is still young and hasn’t learned that what she does on the leash effects the person holding that leash. She is pretty good about knowing the rules on the leash and walks right next to you but on the trail she doesn’t notice there isn’t enough room for that and needs to walk behind me. I say behind because in front she constantly turns around to see if I’m still following which can be pretty annoying when your trying to walk with weight on your back. We started off at the Moffat Tunnel where the trail head begins. The first length of the trail, a couple of miles or so, was beautiful. Weather was g...

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...

 OIL AND DIRT VOL 2 Openings June 1st & July 6th 2018
 - 5pm Boxcar Gallery - Denver Colorado  A celebration of the pursuit of adventure in art! Wether you’re on two wheels or four wheels you have an itch to travel, explore and seek adventure this art show is for you. The concept behind “Oil and Dirt” is to capture the spirit of those seeking to adventure the world. I was honored and delighted to be invited to create work for this show and I orchestrated 3 Moto adventure related pieces in this show. These original works will include 1 oil painting which depicts camping and the epic Colorado landscapes, and 2 watercolors from the Tiny Windows Collection.  This project is a collection of watercolors inspired by people who are out riding and doing amazing things on their Motorcycles. The Celebration of the Rider! I will have prints of these works and a few from the Female Riders series.  Works from several other artists and photographers will also be o...

Although I spend most of my time in my studio lately I have been trying to get out and paint in the world. I must say it has been quite refreshing as lame as it sounds the cool air, the quiet nature and the warm light have brought new inspiration into my work. In my college days I spent more time drawing from the subject ... be it from a still life, a model or outdoors, rather than spending all my time in the studio painting from photos and memory. These days life is the opposite and getting out a few times over the past few months have really motivated me to live more. Instead of using photos, to hike into a spot in order to paint from the source creates its own adventure that I need more of. I forgot how much information a photo lacks. You can imagine how the colors dance in the light but seeing the colors dance while your working makes you learn how to capture the life in a image. It is one thing to render an image but a complete other thing to capture the feel of life. So here...

What started as doing a fun drawing of a woman motorcycle rider clad in a helmet and scarf has developed into a series of pieces. Inspired by pop art and early poster art these women are bold and depict the reality of a rider. There is an overwhelming majority of photographs and paintings of women on motorcycles depicting them half naked and sexy as hell.. which is great for those women and I know boobs sell... but I am just not one of those ladies. When I get on my motorcycle I am going somewhere, which means I am probably going to hit wind and rain and hopefully a whole lot of sun. I am usually dressed with a base layer (my favorite made by smart wool), a heavy jacket, a scarf to protect my face and alway my helmet no matter the state law. If I am going down and its not hard enough to kill me you best believe I hope to save what brains I have left in this life. Any how, with that being said, where are the women like me depicted in popular images? Where is the glorification of...