printed circuit board

Circuit Garden /  by kelly heaton

I am pleased to announce the premiere of “Circuit Garden.” This electronic and sculptural work will be on view February 28 through April 8, 2022 in the lobby of 5 Manhattan West (450 West 33rd Street, Hudson Yards, Manhattan) NYC. I am deeply grateful for Brookfield Arts (Brookfield Properties) and Kendra Roberts (Common Ground Arts) for her curatorial vision. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity! Thank you also to King Credie, PCBWay, and Advanced Circuits for your outstanding manufacturing of my artistic circuit boards.

https://www.manhattanwestnyc.com/events/circuit-garden-art-installation-by-kelly-heaton/

White Stag /  by kelly heaton

White Stag, 2020. Mixed media screen print on canvas panel, 48” x 36”
According to Arthurian legend, the white stag was legendary at evading capture. To see one signifies the beginning of a great spiritual quest…

Bluebird /  by kelly heaton

Bluebird, 2020. Printed circuit board.

I recently completed a new PCB design for manufacture. In addition to testing a new singing circuit, I am experimenting with the visual potential of inks available through conventional factories, for example, blue solder mask and bare copper. Above: The first two images are some of my machine production layers. The colorful image is my design reference file — illustrating how I expect the finished board to look.

Parrots, 2020 /  by kelly heaton

Acrylic, copper etching, silkscreen, and custom analog electronics on fiberglass panel (aka manufactured printed circuit board). 24” x 18” x 1.5” The squawking sounds rare generated by the analog electronic circuit that surrounds the birds. In other words, electricity is flowing through the surface of the painting.

The Making of a Pretty Bird /  by kelly heaton

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.

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.

Pretty bird process /  by kelly heaton

Various images from the process to design a pretty bird printed circuit board for manufacture. April, 2019

Moth Circuit /  by kelly heaton

I continue to design circuits for the night-dwelling inhabitants of my latest electrolier. Here's a little white moth. It's two wings are separate boards comprising a single functional circuit that I'll join in the middle with wires. Its circuit is an adaptation of the well-known "Knight Rider" design: a 555 timer in astable mode that clocks a 4017 counter. I have selected resistor and capacitor values to blink the LEDs with a flutter effect, and there are several optional inputs to the moth whereby external circuits can add "noise," i.e., random behaviors that give a natural appearance. I will update you when the boards arrive and are wired up... fingers crossed that my design contains no errors, as drawing with copper traces is not the most straightforward way to visualize electrical connectivity. Below are two moth images pulled from the Internet for inspiration, followed by my circuit board design in KiCad software.

Two views of my moth in KiCad. The top image shows a 3d rendering of the actual boards, and the bottom shows my printed circuit board (PCB) layout. Kelly Heaton, 2018

Two views of my moth in KiCad. The top image shows a 3d rendering of the actual boards, and the bottom shows my printed circuit board (PCB) layout. Kelly Heaton, 2018