Vinyl Tape Mandalas

Apr 7, 2016


vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic & paint marker on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen

'Color is the keyboard, the optics are the harmonies, the soul is the pianoforte with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or some other, to cause vibrations in the soul.'

– Wassily Kandinsky

A few years ago my husband brought habitation some discarded examination press vinyl records from the music company where he worked. He knew that I was drawn to non-traditional art materials and surfaces and had a feeling that I would bask painting on the vinyl records. His intuition was correct and one time I started painting on the vinyl records, I was quickly hooked.

vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen
vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen

The round form of the records and the grooved surface provided an engaging and joyfully challenging surface to work with. I experimented with pigment markers and acrylic paint and began to figure out the best way to apply the paint and markers. My earliest pieces in the series were more often than not pigment marker on an acrylic background. I posted them on my art site for auction earlier the vacation season, and was excited when people started showing an involvement in them and buying them. The beginning drove is now sold out, and in the past few months I have been working on a 2d collection for an upcoming show. Details coming presently!

vinyl record mandala in progress
vinyl record mandala
in progress

I've received a lot of questions nearly what type of materials I use to create the vinyl tape mandalas in improver to people looking for tips for working on vinyl. I love sharing ideas for fine art materials and my process. Of class in that location is no right or incorrect way to practice this. (Yous knew I was going to say that, didn't you lot?) Merely here are some materials and tips that might help jump beginning your own explorations.

Materials

Paint: I mainly use acrylic paint in combination with paint markers. In terms of the brand of pigment, information technology's really a matter of personal preference and upkeep. I tend to buy a combination of higher end professional person acrylic paint but also fill in with less expensive (simply withal very good quality) acrylic. The ii professional grade paints that I use the most are Aureate and Liquitex acrylic pigment. Spend some fourth dimension on the Gilt and Liquitex sites if you lot're interested in learning about the different types of paint they deport. In that location's a lot of helpful information, tutorials, and fine art examples. I will frequently use the 'Basics' line of liquitex which is slightly less expensive but nice to work with.

Some of the art materials I use to create the vinyl mandalas ~ acrylic, paint pens, & hand carved stamps.
Some of the art materials I use to create the vinyl mandalas ~ acrylic, pigment pens, & hand carved stamps.

Many art and craft stores besides deport a house brand. For example, Michael'due south carries a brand chosen Artist Loft and I take found that paint to be economical and good quality.

Paint Markers

There are many different brands of paint pens and markers. Some are oil based and some are h2o based. I only use water based markers. I don't like the smell of the oil based markers. My favorite brand at the moment is Sakura Pen Touch Markers. They come in a variety of colors and pen tips. I often use the white pens on darker acrylic backgrounds. The metallics also create striking line work on top of a darker groundwork.

Since there are so many brands of pigment pens and markers, my advice is to buy 1 or 2 of each make offered when yous walk into the art store or order them. They are not usually very expensive. Then experiment with the make, pen tips, and colors to run across what you bask working with nearly. The 1 other matter I will mention is that pigment pens do dry out upwards rather rapidly so I'm always replenishing my supply.

vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic & paint pen on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen
vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic & pigment pen on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen

Other Art Materials

In addition to acrylic and paint pens, I have been creating my own safe stamps and using them on some of the vinyl pieces. The tape cassette mandala (second image downwards from the top) was created using a stamp that I carved out of an oversized eraser. Using stamps in conjunction with painting and layers helps give the mandalas an added depth and level of complexity. Plus, the process of etching each stamp is enjoyable in and of itself.

Using stencils and collage are two more techniques that can assist build interesting layers. I repeatedly use my circle stencils to block out smaller mandalas inside the vinyl record mandala.

vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen
vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen


A few tips

It can accept some practice in order to get comfy with working on vinyl. The grooves and variations interact very differently with the paint and then canvas does. I unremarkably don't use much h2o with the acrylic because it will commencement to slide of the vinyl if there is likewise much liquid. Attempt applying the paint more thickly. Continue in heed that there is a natural flexibility to the vinyl record. This is a great aspect of it and acrylic is a naturally flexible plastic. Yet, if pigment is practical very thickly and so it could crack if the vinyl bends as well much. It's an interesting dance betwixt rigidity and flexibility. I enjoy the artistic tension inherent in this procedure. And this brings me to the art therapy component….

Vinyl Record Painting & Art Therapy

When I was working at a few different adult shelters in NYC I brought vinyl records in to my fine art therapy groups a number of times. My clients were immediately intrigued by the culling surface. Many of them fondly recalled listening to records when younger. I would often open the group up by asking clients to imagine that they were about to paint the soundtrack to their lives. I asked them to envision the album cover and the tape artwork. Subsequently they had meditated on this for a while, they would oft begin to pigment on the tape. If there was time at the end of grouping, many of them spontaneously created track lists for their piece. The song titles were merely as illuminating as the visual aspects of the records. Those who were inclined would then share the finished record mandala and the album comprehend and track list if they had come upward with something.

The process was playful and however deeply engaging and meaningful. Most of my clients took the painted records dorsum and hung them up in their temporary rooms at the shelter. The pieces became conversation starters amongst other clients and staff members. Months later, a few of these aforementioned clients visited me at the shelter and said that the tape had been the beginning thing that they hung up in their new apartment after finding housing.

vinyl record mandala ~ acrylic on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen
vinyl tape mandala ~ acrylic on vinyl ~ Sara Roizen

To read more…

If you'd like to read a little more about my vinyl record mandalas, bank check out this interview I did with a lifestyle magazined called Llamas Valley.

My vinyl record mandalas too popped up on Bored Panda a while agone, which was a groovy surprise!

Stay tuned for more vinyl record mandalas. In the concurrently, why not attempt picking upwardly a few used records and experimenting with some tape art besides? Share your explorations here.
I'd love to hear about them.

vinyl record mandala ~ Sara Roizen
vinyl record mandala ~ Sara Roizen