Clifford Smith was motivated by the desire to “get beyond the physical essence of something” and to produce works that “parallel nature rather than imitate it.” Smith, who considered himself a realist painter, is known for his urban and rural landscapes and for his "Ocean Field" paintings, a series he began in the 1990s that features closely cropped views of ocean waves. He rendered his subjects in a blurred or tilted manner, aiming to replicate the eye’s perspective as it passes by fleeting scenes. His other recurring subjects include studies of roads and beach landscapes that include a female’s head seen from behind. Smith cites Caravaggio, John Constable, Rackstraw Downes, Frank Stella, and Gerhard Richter as artistic influences.