Program Faculty

David Clayton moved to the US to take up his current position from his native England in January 2009. He is the designer of the Way of Beauty program which focuses on the link between Catholic culture, in the broadest sense of word, and the liturgy. He also wrote, co-produced and presented the 13-part TV series The Way of Beauty, shown by Catholic TV in 2010 and 2011. Before moving to the US he taught at the Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England where he designed, along with the staff at the Institute, their art-theory course: Art, Beauty and Inspiration from a Catholic Perspective.

His artistic training is in both the Byzantine iconographic style, and in Western classical naturalism, which he studied in Florence, Italy. Aside from the work he is currently doing for the Thomas More College chapel, major commissions include: St Luigi Scrosoppi, for the London Oratory; the crucifixion at Pluscarden Monastery in Elgin, Scotland; and the Sacred Heart at Maryvale Institute.

He has illustrated books for children including God’s Covenant With You, written by Scott Hahn. David and is currently working on one on the Sacred Heart which will be co-written by President of Thomas More College, Dr William Fahey, and Archbishop Cardinal Burke. He writes for his weekly blog www.thewayofbeauty.org, which also has an archive of longer articles, streaming of his TV work, and a gallery of his art. He is the sacred-art writer for the New Liturgical Movement website, www.newliturgicalmovement.org. David was received into the Church in London in 1993.

Clayton is a Benedictine Oblate and he coordinates the music for the liturgy at the College and teaches the students to chant the psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours as part of his Way of Beauty course.He is also interested in hiking, gardening and plays the Appalachian clawhammer banjo at college banquets…if pushed.