A reader asks Matt whether he has ever painted with glow-in-the-dark paints or glitters.

Matt responds:

Glow-in-the-dark paint always makes me think of those science fiction movies where somebody drinks some concoction and has laser lights coming out of their heads!

I was always afraid of becoming a beacon!  I wouldn’t want people following me around wondering where the hell I’m going, especially if I’m on a lonely street on a dark night!

So in terms of using glow-in-the-dark paint, I’d rather put it in my sub-sub basement, lock the door, and forget where the key is!

As far as glitter is concerned, I could say yes to that, possibly in the future, if it’s used as a touch of spice—the least powerful garlic or salt or pepper, where, if you put too much in, you go screaming to the sink trying to get cold water down your gullet because your stomach is on fire!

Not too long ago, I was given some plastic things to heat up and mold into certain objects that can be put in a painting.  I didn’t particularly like the idea of pouring molten plastic on a canvas and watching it fall through the bottom, so without melting them, I threw them like little marbles into a composition and watched them sink into the gesso and the color.

Much to my delight, the little heads stuck out like a frog’s eyes from a pond.  That delighted me!  They were red, though.  The frog must have had a bad night.

So yes to bizarre things thrown into paintings, although there are very few things that are off-limits to my composition.  Luckily, they’re getting fewer and farther between than they used to!

Matt