• Books
  • Paintings
  • Autobiography
  • Contact

Autobiography

My name is Gulfrey Anthony Clarke;

one who has traveled extensively throughout the circle of life—examining people, cultures and secrets—and am now an author, teacher and environmental oil painter, born in Nassau, Bahamas. 1955.

Early life...

From an early age I displayed a great interest in and promise as a graphic artist and painter.

I was tortured daily until shortly before age thirteen while being raised in the Jehovah’s Witnesses Cult: at school, in the community, and at home by religious hypocrites bent on through beatings making me one of them. Furthermore, my disrespectful parents allowed an art teacher to use my work and win a national contest; I was crucified and emotionally devastated, but never to receive a penny or reward for my artistic efforts.

Then at thirteen, I was kicked out of house and home on to the cold hard streets of Nassau—and conveniently branded with lies as a thief and disgrace to Jehovah God’s name, by those seemingly always happy smiling holier-than-thou members of the Witnesses Cult. It was then that I was forced to come face to face with man’s inhumanity to man. They called it tough love. I learned and lived through personal integrity and spirit guidance.

I found reading the little red book, Edga Allen Poe’s poetry and writing my own poems liberating. It was during such suffering that I promised to paint and write a tell-all book about the dark mind control games of a barbaric people.

Eight years later...

Eight years later, finally outside the Bahamas, I realized the limited opportunity for a steady diet and adequate shelter via the Arts, so I obtained a degree in Business Management at the University of the District of Columbia, and further studied Finance at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Little more than a decade ago, I fulfilled my promise to myself to tell-all and possibly spare others from that cult’s brutality and pain by writing the first of two autobiographical titles, Aquamarine Blues and then An American Nightmare. Furthermore, I self-published two collections of short stories. Moreover, I have launched my first thriller series title: Reckless Ruthless People. At the very least, there are about 8 more titles being developed slowly to be released in the future. As always, I have been actively promoting environmental conservation, especially land, ocean and animal rights for over forty years. As a nature enthusiast like Fredrick Church, I exhibited oil paintings in London, Rotterdam, Bern, Switzerland and sold a few important pieces across America.

In 1995 the World Bank Art Society selected some of my paintings from the collection entitled: “Quiet Beauty USA”, for exhibition during the Environmental Day Exhibits. The National Park Service of Washington, D.C. also invited me in 1997 and 1998 to exhibit at the celebration of Anacostia River’s Environmental Day. And for over twenty years I have been commissioned to produce countless dynamic landscapes, seascapes, wild animals, individual and/or group portraits while visiting and or camping in 47 American National Parks.

I once was certified as a camcorder producer with D.C. Cable Television; a photographer, and playwright, whose voice has been used in numerous audio productions. Additionally, I have shared my artistic abilities weekly for several years on a Thursday, volunteering with children who suffered from A.D.H.D., Asperger syndrome, Dyslexia and Depression at Paul Robeson School for Growth and Development, in Washington, D.C. Also, I have raised funds for the John F. Kennedy Centre for The Performing Arts and Children’s Hospital. Additionally, I have counselled and monitored troubled and legally detained youth.In 1999 I exhibited oil Paintings at the Lente Kinst Festijn in Rotterdam, Holland and at the Bruce Castle Museum in London England, October through November 2000.

Now...

For some years, I was licensed by the TELC society and worked as an English expert at the University of Freiburg’s school of engineering and business. Additionally, for more than two decades I taught business, legal and medical English in Bern and Zurich, with teaching credentials from Cambridge University.

Now retired after having traveled and received a true education through immersion in the cultures of seven different countries, I am committed to the development of my grandchildren, while sharing my writing and painting skills globally.

"Don't stop thinking about tomorrow,

Don't stop, it'll soon be here,

It'll be better than before,

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone"

Fleetwood Mac