Clark was raised in New York and is the son of painter, Walter Clark. He exhibited at a very early age at the New York Water Color Club and the National Academy. He studied at the Art Students League under John Henry Twachtman and in Europe.

In 1912, Clark traveled west painting in Arizona including the Grand Canyon. He continued to paint in the Southwest including Arizona, New Mexico and California favoring desert and canyon subjects. He instructed at the Art Students League, NY and served as President of the National Academy of Design