The SoundFX Painting is an interactive art installation originally created as a Christmas gift for my mom. Behind a beautiful painting of our late family African Grey parrot lies a circuit that plays treasured sound recordings at the press of hidden buttons—bringing precious memories back to life.
Our family bird had many memorable sayings that became part of daily life. Working with artist Gabriella Kostadinova, we created a portrait that not only captures the bird’s likeness but also preserves its voice through carefully selected audio clips.
The circuit can be mounted behind any painting or picture frame. A prototyping solder board reduces wiring complexity between modules.
┌─────────────────┐
│ Painting Frame │
├─────────────────┤
│ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Audio FX │ │◀── Trigger Pins (3 buttons)
│ │ Board │ │◀── Volume Pins (2 buttons)
│ └──────┬──────┘ │
│ │ │
│ ┌──────▼──────┐ │
│ │ Speaker │ │◀── Behind canvas
│ └─────────────┘ │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ LiPo + Boost│ │◀── Hidden compartment
│ └─────────────┘ │
└─────────────────┘
While the Audio FX board works standalone via trigger pins, an Arduino sketch enables advanced control: