Donald Archer was born and raised in Southern California. The light and space of California, the monumentality of its landscape has played an integral part in his work.

After his university education, Archer taught for ten years, six of those as an Instructor of Fine Art at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. In 1979, he resigned his teaching position and moved to Santa Barbara in order to pursue painting full-time.

In 1992, he moved to Cambria - near the Big Sur Coast and the rural inland valleys - where he continues to live and work.

In addition to numerous solo and group exhibitions in public museums and commercial galleries, he participates in selected fine art festivals along the west coast.

His work is included in collections, both public and private, throughout the United States and abroad.

Donald Archer's paintings have been featured in American Artist magazine and Southwest Art magazine as well as six books: The Oak Group: The First Ten Years; Ranchos: Santa Barbara's Land Grant Ranchos; The Oak Group: Twenty Years 1986-2006; American Art Collector: Vol. 1, Book 1; American Art Collector: Vol. 3, Book 1; and Ranches & Rolling Hills: Art of West Marin---A Land in Trust.