Now on view: Grounding, solo show of paintings and sculptures

Grounding: Paintings and Sculptures by Falon Mihalic now on view at m Architects Gallery. 1206 Nance Street, Houston Texas.

Grounding is the process of touching the ground to transmit the body’s electrical energy to the earth. The work is inspired by this idea of coming into direct contact with the earth as a way of exchanging energy and explores ground as physical material and bodily experience. The work is based on real terrain that I have touched in Texas, Florida, and New Mexico. These landscapes are defined by sand, mud, salt, rock, erosion, and deposition. They are places that have been sculpted across a geologic timeframe. The process of making the work puts me into a kind of invented terrain somewhere between imagination, memory, body, and place. I find it deeply satisfying to emulate the earth and express it here in the form of paintings and sculptures.

Designer's Sketchbook: Courtyard Studies

I carry my sketchbook with me everywhere. It helps me quickly jot down visual ideas about design and I find that I learn and remember better from something I've drawn myself instead of from a photo. Lately, I have been sketching small courtyards around Houston and taking notes on how the spaces are organized and how the container plants or small in-ground plants grow within the space. These quick drawings help me learn what works and what could be done better in small urban gardens at homes, businesses, and restaurants. The best courtyard gardens feel intimate, like secret gardens, and also inviting. The trick is to use the vertical surfaces in a smart and efficient way so that the space is private and quiet. Here is a selection of recent courtyard drawings from my sketchbook:

Big News: We won a Permanent Public Art Commission

Falon Mihalic and collaborator Graham Coreil-Allen won the Baltimore Central Avenue Percent for Art Commission to create a permanent work of public art.

Design Process: at the drawing board

I have an old-school drafting table and I use it everyday. Drawing by hand is always the very first thing that I do when starting a design project. It's how I capture site notes, develop ideas and quickly sketch and create diagrams. These initial rough sketches are developed into an overall site plan. As a Landscape Architect and Artist, drawing is a primary tool in my creative process. Here I give a sample of some of my hand drawn sketches to give you a look at my behind the scenes process of drawing.

Mycorrhiza, Public Art Installation Process

I like to study details in nature where I can discover patterns and see new connections. Plants are beautiful things to study and see their overall organization with many intricate patterns nested within. The leaves are made up of veins and cells all connected to a larger organism with a form and presence all its own.