Cynthia Archer
Painter, Printmaker, Designer

Became partner with Will Petersen and co founder of Plucked Chicken Press, 1978, a hand lithography workshop dedicated to publishing original limited edition lithographs. She exhibited lithographs and won several regional awards in West Virginia. In 1979 moved the press to Chicago, Il. Archer becomes known for her large colorful, mythelogical lithographs

and hand painted ceramic vessels.

2008 Update! New Paintings, New Direction. Yes, I'm off into a new direction, one more bright and colorful. And to my surprise, more narrative in nature. I'm a big fan of the Fauvists, so seems they might have come to visit. It's been 30 years since I've worked on canvas. All of my past paintings are on paper. Have a look!

Driving home to Evanston from downstate Illinois through flat fields of harvested crops, I never ever imagined I'd live in Illinois and facing my 49th year surrounded by eccentric creative friends, dogs, flowers, and rambunctious mares. Who'd a thought a kid from the hills of West Virginia

would find herself jogging the Lake Michigan shore line and "making" art. I always grin when I think about making ART. For me "art" is just there, I just have to find it. Where do my ideas really come from? Are they really mine or are they just there waiting for me to give them substance? What makes me stop and pick that flower over another one, stoop and look at a scratched "love" in a new slab of cement or watch amazed when I'd swear the sun really did rise out of that lake when I mindfully know it didn't. It sure did look that way this morning, bobbing up through the Lake Michigan waves backed by cobalt blue sky, its reflection slipping out in front, bright orange, glowing. Jane has been waiting for me to put a bio up on her web site. "Just write something!" she says perplexed. It's hard to concentrate on me, I think, as I'm distracted out my west window by the call of a cardinal.

My trip downstate was precipitated by loss of a friend, a last farewell, but not far from his resting place, the stained glass window that I designed for SIU Carbondale lights up Old Wheeler Hall.



A bitter sweet moment as I stood on the third floor, looked into it, and thought, gee that's mine, I designed that... that red haired goddess lifting her glowing fish globe moon signaling Apollo to drive his sun chariot through the window. Lost in the stars, maybe that’s what I’m all about? Dreams, Wishes, unfulfilled desire? My made-up life containing a personal mythology. That part of me small becomes large, that part of me powerful becomes fragile, that part of me earthbound becomes heaven-sent.