# Fluorescent curved Paintings John Poppleton Uses UV Painting to Make Surreal Night Scenes By Michael Baxter | Published 2014-06-02 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/john-poppleton References: [neatorama](http://www.neatorama.com/2014/05/30/Stunning-Fluorescent-Night-Scenes-Painted-on-Women/) & [500px](http://500px.com/John_Poppleton) Utah's John Poppleton came up with an inventive idea back in 2010 -- use blacklight in his paintings to create fluorescent imagery. That in itself wasn't the inventive idea, it was the way he went about doing it. He used [fluorescent paint](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fluorescence) to create scenes of the night sky and other night related imagery on the bodies of women, then in a dark room he would use the blacklight and photograph the images. What came of this experiment is nothing short of spectacular. When photographing, the light source is as important as the subject being shot. With the blacklight, Poppleton uses an [invisible light source](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spencer-finch) to turn the subject itself into a light source. It's all a very meta way of saying he's creating [living, breathing canvases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/painting-exhibition). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.2/10 - Popularity: 76% | Activity: 71% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **UV Painting:** Opportunity for artists to create visually stunning and immersive artworks using fluorescent paint and blacklight technology. - **Night Scene Imagery:** Innovative use of fluorescent paint and blacklight enables the creation of surreal night sky and related imagery. - **Living Canvases:** Transforming bodies into light sources opens up new possibilities for artistic expression and interactive experiences. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Art:** Artists can explore new techniques and materials to push the boundaries of traditional painting and create unique visual experiences. - **Photography:** Photographers can experiment with lighting techniques and subject matter to capture captivating and ethereal images using UV painting and blacklight. - **Entertainment:** The integration of UV painting and blacklight technology can enhance performances, installations, and immersive experiences, captivating audiences with visually striking effects. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Glow-in-the-Dark Sushi Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/glow-in-the-dark-sushi-bar.md) - [High-Frequency Paints](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yolo-paint.md) - [Life-Like 3D Canvases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lumino.md) - [Festive Light Painting Techniques](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-painting-1.md) - [Painting-Immersive Photo Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-ground-exhibition.md) - [Illuminated Curtained Light Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/making-the-invisible-visible.md) - [Paper Curvature Lights](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paper-curves.md) - [Artistic UV-Reactive Smartphones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/polychromatic-mobile-phone.md) - [Vibrantly Colorful Dynamic Artwork](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kayla-rumpp.md)