Micro LED throwie sculpture (Sporeling)

       We will be making a true work of art, a sporeling or micro LED sculpture that utilizes a throwie for its base and foam packaging peanut as medium to work from...all hot glued together. I'm a former art student from the academy of art university in San Francisco, I love throwies and wanted to explore using throwies as medium for light. Momma sent me lots of packages filled with packaging peanuts and A friend of mine suggested I use a peanut for the base to start. Playing around with the luminous foam four hours, we used florescent acrylic rod and UV paint to carry light from the LED inside of the peanut. Behold the first sporeling.
        Immediately we made around 500 and coated the city with light. I have always gathered inspiration from nature and science, which gives me a strong love for these little creatures. The Sporelings remind me of a cross between some kind of exotic plant starting to grow and gelatinous deep sea bio-luminescent creatures. The uses for Sporelings are endless: christmas ornament, deep sea fishing lure, hood ornament, fridge magnet, broach if using another magnet and lets not forget pleasure, along with happiness, when gifted to someone. But the best is the eventual occurance of a random passer by observing your art in public, stopping to ask questions in curiosity...(from which you tell them to go to SPORELING.com follow the link to instructables and spread more light+love)

I did this instructable because I LOVE TO SHARE MY ART AND PROCESS! I want other people to make as many sporelings as they can! (till all you go broke from materials like me) PLEASE send me pictures of where you put them so I can post them on my website(SPORELING.COM) and together we can make the world creative again! happy germinating kids!

Step 1 Tools/Materials

First off you will need music, possibly some kind of ambient harmonic dub style. This will help you find a rhythm and keep the white noise of the heat gun to a minimal.

After your favorite track is playing make sure you have tools ready, Heat gun, pliers, Glue gun, good mask and latex gloves.
 
your materials are:-creativity

-LED Throwie (please see throwie instructable for supplies)
-Fluorescent spray paint (montana,ace,alien)
-Fluorescent Acrylic rod (1/16.1/4.3/32.1/8) ordered from hobbylinc.com (The thicker rods are from Tap Plastics)
-packaging peanut
-packaging tape or electrical
-plastic strings
-glue sticks
-bucket of water
-metal hangar/file and pen not shown

Comments

[deadinsect]

chief, thank you for your kind message and patch! this is an awesome project, I will use some acrylic rod in the next round of solar LED jellies I do. or maybe rexlace (had not even heard of it here in the UK!). The packing peanuts look great too, very trippy.

SF/London are almost on opposite sides of the world, maybe we should do a cross hemisphere installation collaboration... surrounding the earth in light! :)

[chiefchace]

problems with the website btw. will be up soon, i want u to see all the new ones ive made!

[chiefchace]

here is the face book page for now...Please give me support and feedback. this is an on-going social art experiment.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=137916409602089&aid=25889

[ilpug]

Amazing art idea. how long do they last, and is there a way to turn them on and off? or do they stay lit from creation to installation?

[chiefchace]

ty, i like to think that the battery is the life force, when it dies i go out to the ones i can and replace them, but they stay pretty bright for a couple of weeks. waiting for small solar panels and a energy gun to charge them from a distance : )

[godofal]

just solder a small switch in between the LED and the battery
if u dont, then they do stay on all the time till the battery is depleted, or till u pop out the battery somehow

[ilpug]

i was thinking of making a "switch" by getting a little piece of metal i could pull in and out that could contact the leads or the battery somehow. all it would have to be would be a little bit of nail or wire.

[godofal]

could work, or just add a random switch you bought/salvaged from old electronics
but unless u've installed it in ur sleeping room a switch wouldnt really be nescesary

[ChrysN]

Cool!

[ynze]

Cool!