Richard Daniel Clark was born in Brisbane, Australia, the second youngest in a family of eight children. His parents were White Russian, who lived in Harbin, China, and came to Australia during the 1940's. His father served with the 33rd Division on New Guinea during WWII as a Army Chaplain and told Richard that if he ever got to America,"he would love those Yanks!"

Moving to Los Angeles, California in 1974, Richard has a background that includes apprentice motor mechanic, strawberry picker, auto assembly line worker, underground nickel miner and after overcoming a severe stuttering problem add to that resume, radio talk show host. For twenty-four years while living in Los Angeles, Mr. Clark has worked in many areas of television production in addition to being an on-camera talent. He also has performed on stage with stars such as Jamie Farr from M.A.S.H., Peter Marshall from "The Hollywood Squares", and Rod Roddy of "The Price is Right".

As the internationally recognized artist of AMERICAN HIGHRISE, his creative drawing skills were inherited from his father Andrew Clark, a graduate in engineering from the University of Kiev, Ukraine, who passed away when Richard was not yet ten years of age. Richard's fascination with intricate lines developed when as a child he used to sit for hours watching his father design buildings. In dramatic contrast to the finely detailed architectural montage of AMERICAN HIGHRISE, Richard has created soft landscape impressions in oil. His favorite is an island setting at dusk entitled, "Beyond The Sunset" which will be released as a Limited Edition shortly.

Mr. Clark is a published poet and has been active in veteran's causes for over two decades. He resides in Branson, Missouri with his wife, entertainer and recording artist Sue Ann O'Neal. Richard and Sue Ann are making numerous appearances across the country with an inspirational event entitled, CELEBRATE AMERICA, uplifting what is good about this nation with inspiring music and words with the magnificent giant AMERICAN HIGHRISE MURAL as the backdrop.

ARTIST: RICHARD DANIEL CLARK
THE OFFICIAL BICENTENNIAL PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL DESIGN

   "American Highrise" is the only piece of art to have been granted the Official Bicentennial Presidential Inaugural Seal thus making it a "once every 200 years" design and part of American history.

   Based on the ever increasing number of world leaders accepting the historic image, "American Highrise" will be the most honored design in the history of art. It is on display throughout the nation and around the world. The recipients and locations include:

   

In the personal possession of all five living U.S. Presidents
   

In the National Archives, Library of Congress
   

In Presidential Libraries, the Birthplaces of Washington and Lincoln
   

The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island
   

On board most of the aircraft carriers in the U.S. Fleet and
   an additional 300 U.S. ships and submarines
   

The Navy, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard Academies
       including the National Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
   

On display at over 240 U.S. Military Bases across the nation
     and the world from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to
     Guantanamo Bay in Cuba

   Accepted by over 70 world leaders including the Emperor and Crown Prince of Japan, Prime Minister John Major, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Prince Charles, General Colin Powell and all the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

   Other distinguished owners include several Nobel Peace Prize winners, the late Armand Hammer, Ted Koppel, Rev. Billy Graham, Astronauts Neil Armstrong and John Glenn, and His Holiness, Pope John Paul II. (The Inaugural image became the first piece of art featuring the Stars and Stripes to be admitted into the Vatican Archives.)

   "American Highrise" was presented to many representatives of the coalition countries at the United Nations during Operation Desert Storm by U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering including the United Nations Secretary General.

   "American Highrise" in addition to it's historic significance is the only piece of art to have "gone to war" in Operation Desert Storm on board many of the participating U.S. Navy ships and was further honored by General H. Norman Schwarzkopf when he presented a signed Inaugural image to the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait when that country was liberated.

   At the current rate of locations confirming acceptance, "American Highrise" will become the most personally viewed piece of art in modern times.

   The "American Highrise" image has also been used to raise money for veteran's and to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces. In Nov. 1997, American Highrise, Inc. in conjunction with the United States Postal Service created a cachet envelope to commemorate "A Veteran's Homecoming 1997" in Branson, Missouri. The monies collected from the envelope sales helped purchase a van for the Tri-Lakes veterans to enable them to have transportation to VA Hospitals.