Overview

The light sculpture of a tree is complete, and I have given this piece of artwork the name “4 Seasons”. This name reflects the main idea behind this artwork: to create a sculpture of a tree with LEDs that change colors and animate to reflect the seasons changing. Images of the tree in each season can be seen at the bottom of the page. I created the LED animations in Javascript and utilized a PixelBlaze WiFi LED controller and libraries for the control interface. This project was immensely rewarding with everything I learned and how the final product encapsulates my original idea for the sculpture. However, if I were to do this project again, I would use a different LED strip that allows me to create the color brown easily.

Material and tools

Materials used in the construction of this project are listed below:

1. PixelBlaze WiFi LED controller
2. 5-meter Addressable LED strip
3. 1-inch-diameter PVC pipe
4. Sand
5. Plant pot
6. Electrical tape
7. Black and brown spray paint

Tools used for the construction of the project are listed below:

1. Drill: to create holes in PVC pipe for LEDs to shine through
2. Soldering iron: to attach LEDs to the LED controller and create a secure connection
3. Laptop: To program LEDs with the Javascript language
4. 5-volt power source: to provide power to the LED strip

Construction of Sculpture

The creation of this project began with the PVC pipe getting cut to the size that I wanted for the tree and then drilling holes to allow light to penetrate the pipe. Next, it was spray painted black multiple times so the sculpture would blend into a dark background. Then the PVC pipes were put together to form the tree structure and placed in a plant pot with sand so it would stay upright and secure in the pot. Next, it was spray painted brown lightly in some spots to give it a more tree-like appearance. Once dry, the LEDs were strung through the tree’s structure and attached around it. Finally, the LEDs were connected to a laptop, and their animations were programmed.

Overview of Animation of Lights

The animation of the lights begins with all of them turning on to different colors used within the seasons to represent the boot-up of this tree. Next, it transitions into summer with the green leaves, which slowly turn orange, red, and yellow to show fall is approaching. Then, all the leaves change, demonstrating that fall is here, but soon enough, the leaves start falling off the tree shown in the LEDs turning off. Eventually, all the leaves have fallen off the tree, but then the random LEDs start turning white, symbolizing snow falling onto the tree. Soon enough, the top of the tree is entirely white, but the LEDs start turning green and orange to represent the snow melting and spring approaching. The orange lights on the tree present blossoms and fruit that appear in the spring. The tree then loses all the orange, and the leaves turn fully green, showing it is summer again. It will repeat this cycle until the tree is turned off. This animation can be seen in the video below.

Challenges and Skills Learned 

One main challenge in this project was getting the LEDs to work correctly. Before this project, I had yet to gain experience working with LEDs, an LED controller, or soldering, so getting the LEDs to communicate properly and turn on was a challenge at first. However, overcoming this gave me the skills to work with LEDs and identify the voltage and current necessary to power them and solder wires. Another challenge in this project was programming the LEDs. Although I had libraries available, I had not yet worked in the programming language used on the PixelBlaze, which was Javascript. However, I utilized my knowledge from programming in Java to help me understand Javascript, and this project has given me the ability to program in Javascript. Overcoming these challenges allowed me to create a piece that genuinely encapsulates the original idea of a tree sculpture that changes between the four seasons, which can be seen in the images below.