A consummate professional artist, Clark took great care to enjoy his life with his wife and son, Alson Jr. Extremely well traveled, and maintaining a residence in Paris, he settled into California to recover from an injury to his hearing in World War I. In this last quarter century he blended epic historic murals for the Los Angeles Cathay Circle Theater and the Pasadena Playhouse, with beautiful local scenes Clark discovered and caught with oil on canvas. Here he has locked in a precious view of the beach goers of Santa Monica.

The summer activity is in full swing, as far as the middle season may last nine months or more in California. The vast sea of beach umbrellas and the field of colors they cast drew Clark to linger and paint. Quite interesting choice is his semi-isolation, southside near the pier’s decaying underbelly with the tire inner-tube rental business languishing along with the rest. Bathers idly spend the day, with the Santa Monica Mountain to the north spanning from Topanga to Malibu and Point Dume in contrast to the hot clean California sand under Clark’s feet. While he painted many California scenes, they very rarely ever come out of private collections onto the art market.