Dancing in the Sky
The ethereal Northern Lights are also known as the Aurora Borealis. This natural light display, a celestial dance of colours and shapes, occurs in the polar regions and shows the Earth's dynamic relationship with the sun and the cosmos. The term "Aurora Borealis" originates from the Greek, with "Aurora" meaning "dawn" and "Boreas” for "wind.The Northern Lights are a result of interactions between charged particles from the sun, solar winds of electrons and protons, and the Earth's magnetic field. As these charged particles collide with the gases in our atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, they emit light in various colors. Oxygen produces red and green hues, while nitrogen contributes to purples and pinks. The lights are most observed in high-latitude...
Pegasus: The Winged Horse That Gallops through the Stars
Pegasus has his roots in Greek mythology, where he is said to have sprung forth from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa when she was slain by the hero Perseus. Born from the sea foam and blood, Pegasus emerged as a majestic winged horse with the power of flight. This mythical creature became the loyal steed of Bellerophon, aiding him in his battles against monsters like the Chimera. In the night sky, Pegasus is recognized by its distinctive square-shaped asterism known as the "Great Square of Pegasus." This pattern outlines the body of the winged horse and serves as a marker for stargazers. In the Northern Hemisphere Pegasus is visible during autumn evenings and in the Southern Hemisphere you can...
Nebulas: Celestial Clouds of Beauty
Nebula without a doubt are my absolutely favourite to paint for glow in the dark murals. They are described as the "cosmic clouds" of the universe. These celestial phenomena are composed of gas, dust, and various cosmic elements. They play a crucial role in the lifecycle of stars. What are Nebulas? Nebulas are massive clouds of gas and dust scattered throughout space. These clouds are made of various elements, such as hydrogen, helium, and other ionized gases. The term “nebula” comes from the Latin word for "cloud," and it describes the beautiful, hazy, cloud-like appearance of these cosmic structures. Types of Nebulas: Emission Nebulas: These are regions of space where gas is ionized by nearby stars, causing them to emit...
Clear Removable Vinyl Glow in the Dark Decals
Clear vinyl decals are now available for glow in the dark star ceilings. These are best for coloured backgrounds like dark blue/black ceilings. The clear glow decals are gloss finish, medium tack and removable but can bond more over time. These decals may not adhere to some anti-scuff/stain resistant paints, these type wall paints are used to prevent unwanted material sticking on them, including vinyl adhesive. If the wall has been painted with these types paints the easiest solution is to spray the decals with a clear spray adhesive. I realise most of us don't know what kind of paints are on our bedroom walls so contact me if you run into a problem. I'm happy to help, all my products come...
A Glow in the Dark Star Ceiling Under Different Lighting Conditions
This is a timeline of photos of a glow in the dark star ceiling under different lighting conditions. It took me 20 minutes to put up 100 star stickers. (Only the brightest were detected by the camera.) Daylight ~ This is a back room which doesn't receive direct sunlight. The white decals blend in almost invisibly to the white ceiling. Daylight with room light on ~ Late afternoon ~ The decal edges are picked up by the room light. Twilight with room light ~ Again the lights changes the appearance of the decals. Night time ~ Dim light is washing in from another room. The decals were charged by leaving the light on for 10 minutes. Complete darkness, fully charged. The decals will continue...
Are Glow-in-the-Dark Stars Safe for Kids?
Strontium Aluminate is the new generation glow in the dark powder used in glow in the dark toys, safety equipment and for art. It is safe for the environment, for people and pets. Glow in the dark stars have long been a favourite among kids, transforming their bedrooms into fun night sky galaxies. While these luminous decorations are 100% magical, parents sometimes wonder and ask me about their safety. One common misconception about glow in the dark stars is the fear of radiation. The new generation and even the previous generation glow stars illumination was not the result of using radioactive materials. The luminescent effect is achieved through a completely safe process, giving off a gentle and harmless glow that adds a...
FIRST GLOW PAINTING EVER!
There's a first time for everything, this was the first glow in the dark painting I photographed. It was the Southern Cross and the pointer stars. I painted it tacked onto the wall in my lounge and photographed it in the laundry as that was the easiest room to blackout the window. It was a rental but I painted three star ceilings in that house. I think they were painted over when the house was fixed after the Christchurch earthquake. I imagine there's quite a lot of glow paint still there though, you think you're being careful with it until the lights go out and then you see you've dropped it nearly everywhere and somehow splashed it all over the walls. Every one of the stars in...
Where Can I Get A Custom Glow in the Dark Mural?
Right here! I love custom glow in the dark art projects!
It encourages me to create new and exciting glow art. New art is always a challenge and I get nudged out of my comfort zone. The end reward of making someone happy is absolutely the best. All my glow in the dark art is designed and painted in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Get a default sized one here.
How long do glow in the dark stars last?
Unlike glow sticks and old school ceiling stars, the new generation strontium aluminate based stars can be recharged charged over and over. They will glow all night for many years.
Strontium aluminate, the newest non toxic glow material, doesn't lose its ability to recharge easily. I've tested this from posters painted over 10 years ago like the Pleiades poster (2012) above, they're as bright as the day I painted them. You’ll notice that your glow art and stars are brighter at the beginning of the night than just before dawn.The difference in brightness happens because the light has been discharging all night and just needs to be recharged the next day. (If you can't wait you can blast it with a top up during the night.)
How I Charge Glow in the Dark Stars
As an artist I started using glow in the dark paint in 2011 and it is an amazing medium of constantly moving and changing light. All my paints are exclusive, almost every project I paint requires a different formula, these are many times brighter than glow in the dark printed inks.The paint I select, how the art is charged and different lighting conditions all work together to make the art change and look different from night to night, and even at different times of the night.All my work glows for approx. 12 hours with sufficient charging with bright light. Using a room's natural daylight and a 10 minute top up with a bright light at night is sufficient to get that all night glow....