Patch Bird /  by kelly heaton

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 /  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.

Night birds in a PCB /  by kelly heaton

Screen shots from a PCB that I’m designing — an analog electronic bird song generator with a primitive interface for adjusting the song, aka “patch bird.”

warbler studies /  by kelly heaton

Three studies of warblers for a new singing circuit (work in progress). The Red warbler lives in Mexico’s highlands, although its territory may become more northern as a consequence of climate change. The Cerulean warbler is considered to be at high risk of extinction due to human destruction of habitat. The Yellow warbler lives in North America and is thankfully not at risk for the moment.