A series of 19 unique, hand-printed works on paper
edition
Perroquets d'Or et d'Ombre /
In this time of Coronavirus, of social isolation and fear, we must transcend to fly. Two caged parrots sing in the presence of beauty, enlightenment, love, and hope. This digital master file is about to go into print production — message me for info on the first edition.
Patch Bird /
A new circuit board edition titled “Patch Bird,” 2019. Analog electronics, copper etching, patina, and acrylic on fiberglass panel. The image on the right shows the backlighting turned on.
The Making of a Pretty Bird /
The Making of a Pretty Bird, 2019. A series of 3 printed circuit boards each measuring 12” x 18”. Etched copper, gold electroplate, and silkscreen on epoxy laminate.
Created for a hotel in Chattanooga, TN, this series shows my process to make artistic printed circuit boards. The first panel contains my schematic diagram for a sound-generating circuit that “sings" like a bird. In the central panel, my electronic design has been translated into conductive copper metal --the essence of a functional circuit. Multiple production layers including copper, solder mask, silkscreen, and gold electroplate are assembled in the final panel to create a work of aesthetic and electronic art as seen here.
This work is available for purchase. For inquiries, please email me.
PCB fine art edition, WIP /
Detail of a work in progress (printed circuit board as a fine art edition). Kelly Heaton, August, 2019
Pretty Bird ver. CC 2019 /
Here it is at last: my edition of 150 printed circuit boards and associated components, “Pretty Bird ver. CC,” 2019. This multiple was commissioned by Creative Capital for their 20th summer retreat celebration. I designed the artistic circuit using discrete hardware to generate waveforms from a 12 volt DC power supply, visible as blinking LEDs and audible through an 8 ohm speaker. Under the right lighting conditions, the sound is reminiscent of “pretty bird,” a song of the Carolia wren. There are no audio recordings or software algorithms involved in this effect — it’s entirely analog electronic. In the upper left corner of the circuit is a light-dependent resistor that affects the frequency of a negator oscillator, as I demonstrate in the video by changing the ambient light. It’s fascinating to me that a small quantity of common transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes can create vibrations that are so life-like. Similarity or simulacrum? The spark of life.
Pretty Bird CC test run video /
Pretty Bird ver.CC 2019 test run /
My first run of boards came in this week. I am pleased to report that the circuit works as intended (sings an analog electronic song). I’ll post video of that soon, but for now, some photos of the pretty board. I used gold-plated copper and solder mask to achieve a watermark effect, as you can see in some of these pictures. These boards (along with components to solder) will be given to attendees at Creative Capital’s 2019 retreat in June.