About

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 Drawing has been part of my life since the early 2000s, mostly portraits. Over the past few years, the public lands of the Eastern Sierra have, dare I say, drawn me in, and they’ve become the focus of this work.

But the bigger picture goes beyond what you can see from the trail. After nearly a decade of visiting Hot Creek, it took a view from a plane to understand where its water actually flows - which changed how the mining proposal there looked, too. The hope is for this art to show a different side, or angle of these places - to give others a deeper perspective.

The work is mainly ink, alcohol marker, charcoal, and graphite. It avoids being preachy, and instead tries to show what’s here and let people decide for themselves.

Eastern Sierra Visuals is new. For now, it’s a collection of illustrations, some photographs, and short write-ups about public lands issues in the region. Eventually, the goal is to work with local coalitions and other artists who care about this place.

-Melanie Falko