inspiration

open studio: who /  by kelly heaton

Detail of "Who," 2016.  Colored pencil, graphite, and gouache on paper.

I continue to study electronic circuit design as a means to represent the "energy anatomy" of a human being.  In this drawing, "Who," I have constructed each chakra of the body using a simple circuit designed to manifest the corresponding energy.  In the above detail, you can see the solar plexus, heart, throat, mind, and crown chakras (in ascending order).  In the coming weeks, I'll be working on sculptural studies of the chakras; and I will explain my reasons in greater detail.

open studio: model for a sculptural circuit to illuminate a street lamp /  by kelly heaton

Model for a Sculptural Circuit to Illuminate a Street Lamp, 2016

Here's my first shot at a model for a public art installation of electronic characters.  They are situated on a circuit board made of astroturf, with traces marked in turf paint.  The circuit uses solar power to charge a battery, which then illuminates a street lamp when ambient light levels are low.  The overall dimensions of the model are 20" x 20" and the scale is 1 inch = 1 foot.  

open studio: landscape circuit / lamp /  by kelly heaton

Study for a public art installation involving a circuit to illuminate a lamp, 2016

Colored pencil and watercolor on paper.  Circuit elements are imagined to be human-scale or larger.  A solar panel charges a battery that, in turn, illuminates the lamp when ambient light levels are low (i.e., at night).

open studio: sculptural resistor series /  by kelly heaton

Study for a sculptural resistor series, 2016.  Colored pencil on paper.  Kelly Heaton

I continue to work on studies for outdoor sculpture incorporating analog electronics into landscape architecture, public space, and nature.  I like the form and color of electronic components, especially rendered with biological character.  Situated on a grassy ground plane, green like a circuit board, these larger-than-life circuits are an exciting synthesis of natural and manmade systems.