printmaking

Printed circuit manufacturing /  by kelly heaton

Have you ever wondered how I make my printed circuit boards? This video is for you. I design all of my own circuits, artwork, and production files, but I rely on a factory to produce my boards to a high-level of precision. (Soon, I will post video about etching my own boards, and you will see the difference! Mine are poetic and beautiful as works of art, but they are not “perfect” like a professionally manufactured PCB). For the past four years, I have been working with Spring at King Credie Technology Ltd in Shenzhen, China. They have been incredibly patient with my experimental art practice. I am grateful for their support and expert technical ability. Just because they are a factory, doesn’t take away from the incredible skill and knowledge required to produce a circuit to this level of quality. Truly, this is electronic printmaking at a high level. The video shows you how it’s done from start to finish. Enjoy!

The Making of the Flower of Life, 2022

Hotel Indigo Chattanooga / The Making of a Pretty Bird /  by kelly heaton

Kelly Heaton, The Making of a Pretty Bird, 2019. A series of three 12" x 18” panels. Copper, gold electroplate, and silkscreen on epoxy laminate.

I am thrilled to finally share these images of my series, “The Making of a Pretty Bird,” installed in the guest rooms of the Hotel Indigo in Chattanooga, TN. (Documentation of the installed work was delayed by COVID-19). The panels are actual printed circuit boards that I wall-mounted as works of art. The sequence illustrates the process by which I designed my birdsong-generating piece “Pretty Bird,” (2019) from engineering schematic to the etched copper to the final layered artifact. Some of the above images were taken at the factory in Shenzhen, China and document stages of the unorthodox method by which the art was produced. I created 121 of these series for the Hotel Indigo Chattanooga, and the series is open-ended for additional works on demand. (Please inquire)

Circuit Bird /  by kelly heaton

Documentation of “Circuit Bird,” 2021, an adjustable analog electronic circuit for birdsong generation. The art is made with custom electronic hardware, printed circuit boards, foiled chipboard, and screen-printed silk laminated on a wooden frame. Dimensions are 35” tall by 23.5” wide by 1.5” deep. Watch the video to hear the circuit vibrate with birdsong. Notice the modular components of the circuit: I separated the oscillators, the passive coupling filters, and the audio amplifier into separate (but connected) printed circuit boards. This design enables me to assemble different quantities and configurations of oscillators to create new artworks based on the principle of vibration.

The Moon /  by kelly heaton

Details of a new work in-progress: The Moon, inspired by Tarot.

Chinoiserie Bird Study /  by kelly heaton

“Chinoiserie Bird Study,” 2020. A series of three artist-made screen prints on canvas with acrylic, foil, and fretwork. 38” H x 23” wide (unframed - works will be custom framed by the artist).

I have been steadily developing my printmaking technique and chinoiserie aesthetic in preparation for a new series of botanical circuit boards. In these studies, I explored screen printing on canvas combined with a thick acrylic stencil application, metal foiling, and wooden fretwork.

Chinoiserie Bird in progress /  by kelly heaton

Traditional printmaking combined with electronic nature. The wallpaper is screen printed on canvas using a many layers of CMYK color separation, block printing, and hand-painted transparencies. The circuit board is vinyl on acrylic and will be laser cut to shape in a next step.

Perroquets /  by kelly heaton

Various prints from my screen printed, hand-painted, and foiled “Perroquets” series, nearly complete.

Screen printing Perroquets /  by kelly heaton

I’m almost finished with my screen print series, “Perroquets d’or et d’ombre,” a French-inspired scene of two lovebirds in an electronic cage. I’m passionate about making the most beautiful circuit boards in the world — to elevate printed electronics to a fine art form. Here I pull a layer of gooey and gold ink (solvent-based, hence the mask). The 19 prints in this series are all unique and hand-screened by yours truly. Each one has between 18 and 25 ink layers, plus hand-painted details and metallic foil. Available soon - stay tuned for images and message me if you’re interested to collect one.