Article By: Amelia “Killer” Rose
Article By: Amelia Rose
w
e’ve been lucky, these last few months, to interview artists that were born with a love for art deep in their veins, and Kayla Koeune is no different. Growing up in small-town Wisconsin, she was drawn to art at a very young age. Like most other kids there, she spent her time hanging out in taverns, though instead of reading books or playing video games, she always wanted to draw and paint the world around her. So, while there, she would spend her time trying to draw the bar flies that hung around, all from the comfort of a fort she made out of stools. As she grew older, her love for art grew as well, and she decided to pursue a BA in Fine Arts at the Milwaukee Peck School Of The Arts. What inspired her then was the challenge of the naked human form and trying to capture the real and raw emotions of everyday life. Following graduation, Kayla did what apparently most kids with art degrees did joined… the Wisconsin
76
June ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE
Army National Guard. Right after the completion of her training, she deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, where connections and friends were made that would soon change her life. It was there that she was informally introduced to the loud, dirty, fantastic world of motorcycles and the diverse people that ride them. Now, her formal introduction was a bit different. Life had turned a corner, and she was introduced to some wonderful people. She met Mario Sanchez, Ben Marx, Dave Cook and Milwaukee Mike while working as a general manager for a restaurant that, coincidentally, Mike had made the sign for, and happened to be around the corner from the shop Ben worked at. The guys were regulars, so it didn’t take Kayla long to get to know them. After that, she began hanging around with them outside of work, which is where the motorcycles came in. Milwaukee Mike took her on her first motorcycle ride, and Mario helped her pick up her first bike, a
sweet little Honda Rebel. Soon they started suggesting that she do some paintings of motorcycles, showing her tons of pictures of various bike art and asking her if she could do it. At the time, she was a city artist that showed portraits and nudes but meeting them and learning more about motorcycles changed her whole career. In February of 2012, Kayla painted one of her first motorcycle pieces, and by June she was showcasing them. That same year was when her current business, Inferno Art Studios, was founded, and since becoming involved in the crazy culture that is moto-art, Kayla has been lucky enough to travel crosscountry, and connect with some of the biggest names in industry art; Michael Lichter, Richie Pan, and David Uhl to name a few. A favorite experience of hers was years ago when she, Chris, and Richie Pan all painted on one canvas together. Despite the fact
