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As a pre-teenager, Clifton was studying, sketching, and painting landscapes "en Plein Air". This dedication continued until six months before his untimely death. The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. played an important part in his development as an artist. Critiques were written by the directors and instructors at the Corcoran Gallery; namely, C. Powell Minnigerode and S. B. Baker.
On a number of occasions; specifically, beginning on September 25, 1928, famous artist, Edward W. Redfield, began critiquing Clifton's paintings that were brought regularly to the museum by a neighbor and part-time employer, Mr. P. B. Lamberton. Redfield's handwritten letters from Center Bridge, Pennsylvania, and C. P. Minnigerode, the Corcoran's leaders, plainly speak about Clifton's natural painting abilities. Clifton had extremely keen eyesight and possessed a brilliant memory. Clifton honed in on American Impressionism as his left legacy of several hundred paintings clearly show. Clifton's favorite oils were Windsor and Newton because the paints match the rich colors of nature.
A list of accomplished paintings include: sheep, cows, dogs, horses, pigeons, old barns, stone bridges, corn shocks, trees, creeks, streams, rivers, clock faces, chairs, historic buildings, Trevanion, churches, farms, fields, pea fowl, dirt roads, oak trees, deer, portraits, ponds, and the four seasons.
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