Robert J. Clarke began his life as an artist early on, influenced by his mother, who instilled a love of reading, and his father—an architectural draftsman—who taught him that the pictures he imagined while reading could be transformed into images on paper.

Clarke holds a B.S. in Art Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking from the Rochester Institute of Technology. His paintings reside in the permanent collections of both alma maters, and his memorial portraits are on permanent exhibition at sites across the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus.

As a freelance illustrator working in both traditional and digital media, Clarke’s work has appeared nationally for clients ranging from ABC to Rolling Stone to Xerox Corporation. His illustrations span editorial work, paperback book covers, record albums, network television advertising, movie posters, and marketing materials. Clarke specializes in portraiture.  His portraits of well-known figures have been used commercially, while his privately commissioned works are treasured in family collections.

Beyond his work for the United States Mint, Clarke has created coin and medal designs for the Danbury Mint and Simba Refinery.  His home and studio are in Pittsford, New York, a short walk from the Erie Canal.