I happened upon fluorescent paint quite by accident when I visited an art supplies store in London recently. I have been steadily working it into my paintings here and there over the last month or so simply because I liked the brash and lively things it did when added to ordinary colours. It has the effect of bringing the painting alive somehow. So imagine my surprise when a friend of mine suggested that we see what happens when we illuminate a piece with an ultra violet light source? The result, it’s fair to say, was jaw-dropping and a complete revelation to me.
The next phase is to integrate a bio-luminescent paint into some of my work. This paint has the ability to charge itself up in daylight and light up like a Christmas tree at night WITHOUT the need for a UV light source. The new type of paint is made form strontium aluminate phosphorescent pigment and is currently sold in 7 grades.
At the wholesale level, the difference is brightness vs. cost. There is a large difference in brightness between grades. Over 98% of phosphorescent material produced is Grade 4 and 5, which is available from dozens of sources. I intend to use the best, grade zero (V10), imported directly from a supplier in the USA, they in turn purchase over 90% of the Grade zero manufactured in the world.
I figure that £99 per litre is going to make the paintings expensive but when the light fades they will shine like the sun.
