By day, I am a Professor at Eastern Michigan University, where I enjoy conducting research in my laboratory and teaching students about Cellular & Molecular Biology. When I am not in the lab or the classroom, I love creating art. While it may seem unusual for a scientist to moonlight as an artist, I believe that the same creativity needed for designing experiments is instrumental for making artwork.
My LEGO mosaic origin story… While visiting a LEGO store in Chicago with my family, I was mesmerized by a huge LEGO mosaic, depicting the Chicago cityscape, on the wall outside the store. I had never dreamed of using LEGO to create two-dimensional artwork. I was fascinated by the way that subtle details, invisible up close, somehow emerged when I stepped back and viewed the mosaic from a different perspective and I was inspired to explore this art medium.
I tried to start “simple” and create a small (20″ x 20″) LEGO mosaic of a cartoon character (LEGO Hulk from the LEGO Marvel Superheroes video game) as a gift for a friend. I soon realized that I had misjudged the difficulty of this art project. I needed large quantities of LEGO bricks , and I needed many in colors not represented in the LEGO palette. To unlock a greater array of colors, I decided to paint LEGO bricks. This started with commercial spray paints and has evolved into custom formulations of artist-grade acrylics that I mix myself.
Through the years (and hudreds of thousands of bricks later…) I have continually refined my techniques while increasing the size and complexity of my artworks. I really enjoy creating LEGO mosaic artwork, and I hope you enjoy the artwork I have created. I would love to hear from you if you have questions or comments!
I’d love to discuss the opportunity to work together.
Email Me
recyclemi@yahoo.com
COMMISSIONS
If you like what you see here and have an idea for a custom work that I could help bring to life using LEGO bricks, please contact me by email or using the form below. I can create one of a kind mosaics and portraits of family, friends, pets, or you name it. If you wish to build the mosaic yourself, I can assist with design and layout, so your final product will be top notch. I can even create digital artwork in the style of LEGO bricks. Of course, there are many other possibilities. If you have an idea for a commission, please contact me!
NEWS & EVENTS - click + to expand the news tab for each year
2023
February 25-26, 2023 – Aaron shows a selection of his LEGO mosaics at the 2023 Brick Bash at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, MI.
January 16, 2023 – MLive features a story about “Selma to Montgomery” – click here to check it out.
January-February 24, 2023 – “Selma to Montgomery” on display at the Ann Arbor District Library (Main Lobby of Downtown Ann Arbor branch) and featured as part of the 2023 MLK Day celebration. Click here for more information.
2022
October 2022 – Aaron and his artwork featured in Voyage Michigan magazine, click here to check out the story.
October 2022 – “Revolutionary” a mosaic depicting Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on display at Art Unified (1329 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291), where it is offered for sale.
July 2022 – Aaron presents a FREE 4-day community LEGO mosaic build for teens, hosted and sponsored by the Kent District Library system, as part of the Summer Wonder program. Approximately fifty teen library patrons participated in this collaborative build event that produced a “Powerful” portrait of Wonder Woman.
April 2022 – “TB10” an autographed LEGO mosaic of Tom Brady auctioned for $10,000 at the ChadTough Champions for Change Gala, with proceeds benefitting research to find a cure for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG, a form of brain cancer) and to support families impacted by DIPG. Check out video of TB10 here on YouTube.
2021
October 2021 – “Black & White?” a Zebra LEGO mosaic displayed at the Gutman Gallery in Downtown Ann Arbor as part of the “Emerge” art exhibition. Click here for more information.
September 2021 – “Revolutionary” a LEGO mosaic depicting Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. exhibited at the Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Grand Rapids (MI) for ArtPrize 2021. Click here for more information.
January 2021 – “Revolutionary” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. LEGO® mosaic spotlighted by MLive. Clickherefor a story andherefor a photo gallery.
January 2021 – “Watchful” LEGO® mosaic selected as Best in Show at Bricks LA 2021! Clickhereto see all the prizewinning LEGO creations.
2020
April 2020 – Aaron’s new “Brick Madness” eBook series about mini mosaics built with LEGO® bricks is available from the Amazon.com Kindle Store. Click here for more information.
September 2019 – MLive features Aaron’s LEGO mosaic artwork. Click here to read more.
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