Artist Dave Archer, whose space paintings made with an electric wand have been seen all over the world—and even outside of our solar system, if you count Star Trek—answered a few of our questions about his work, method, and what it feels like to get a million volts of electricity to the chest.

Alright, first the obvious one: What have you been up to recently? I can’t find any paintings done in about a decade. Did you give it up painting with the wand?

I’m semi-retired (66 years) and only doing limited glass paintings, and commissions. I’m making movies, and writing books too. My agent, Linda Rieger at riegerfineart.com is having a Retrospective E-Show and Sale of over two hundred of my original works. Some are current… around ten I think.

How much finesse is possible with the electric wand. Is it mostly “spray and pray” or could you actually direct it where you wanted it?

Ah yes, finesse. Well, after decades, yes, I can direct arcs here I want them, but they are going to do what they want, when they land. It’s more about the qualities of the paints, than the electricity. Especially viscosity. Get it just right and the electricity “loves” it.

How does the electricity actually move or affect the paint? Does the paint oxidize?

Small amounts of paints burn and oxidize, yes. Not much, because it’s water paint. As mentioned above, the viscosity of the paints is important, too thick, no fun, too thin, no fun, plus combining alcohol at times, causing a fire, causes oxidation some. It heats up the glass though, and causes things to dry faster.

Are any of your pieces psychedelically inspired? (I see a few dancing Inca in space here and there.)

Yes, I arrived in North Beach, San Francisco, to report for duty as a beatnik in 1961. I was ten minutes late. So I’m a wannabeatnik. The space paintings I do are all psychedelically inspired. I have a psychedelic brain. Ron Russell, who taught me the art, agrees. We were rangers back then. I do hide pictures in the clouds. Sometimes people see them, sometimes it scares them when they do. They’re images I add, like spirits. Then, sometimes, “they” appear as if by “psychic-photography” and simply blow everyone away, especially me.

What came first, the technique or the subject matter?

Studying techniques in 1970, in a series of studios, with Ron Russell of course, the subject rose out of that experimentation over three years. We loved it, plus, they all sold, two important travelers to get you down the road.

What does getting a chest-full of a million volts feel like?

There’s an old country song, “You Dun Stomped On My Heart And Smashed That Sucker Flat”.

Something like that. Like getting stomped by Frankenstein’s monster boot.

Awful.

There was this “electric fingers” aspect too, like the hand of an evil spirit hand through my ribs and grabbed my heart and tried to rip it out of my chest. So, a combination of Frankenstein’s monster stomping, and electric-spirit fingers yanking.

Do you feel like the mysterious call of space has waned in recent years?

Nope. It’s growing because of Hubble. What we’re finding is so spectacular I can’t understand why people don’t have Hubble nights at movie theaters, where the slides could be projected on big-screen. I’ll be in Phoenix at a huge space show, with all the astronauts and space artists, etc., you can think of. Buzz Aldrin and all. Over twenty five so far I think. Next August. It’s called Spacefest. Google Spacefest and you’ll probably find it. If not, I’ll look up the address and give it to you.

Were you upset when Star Trek was run into the ground? What do you think about the upcoming “reboot” movie?

Haven’t heard about “reboot”. No upset, just boredom. I’d had my Trek experience and moved on. Deep Space Nine asked me to design something for the show, then reviled my drawing. I didn’t blame them. I would have reviled it too. Hell, I did. Time to go. Great memories though. Great fun on the set at Paramount.

Related: Electric Artist: Dave Archer

Images used with permission from Mr. Archer.