Malcolm Christhilf was born in Baltimore, MD. He earned a Bachelor of Science at Towson State University in Towson, Maryland and he attended Tamarind Institute's Printer Fellow Program in Albuquerque, New Mexico to earn a printer's certificate. He completed his Master of Art and Master of Fine Arts degrees at the University of California at Berkeley. He is currently a Professor of Art at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania where he teaches Two-Dimensional Design, Color, and all levels of Drawing and Painting.
My paintings are drawn from direct observation. This keeps them as fresh and immediate as possible. This is true for both the still-life and landscape images. I consider the response of the hand to the eye to be the essence of art but it also constrains what I can paint.
The still-life pictures have been my primary focus for many years. These paintings show a variety of found objects presented singly or together on a still-life table and reflect my delight in the form and color I find in the world.
The landscape images are a more recent pursuit. They act as a sunlit break from the exacting visual processes the studio still-life paintings require. Lately they have taken on a life of their own. The smaller plein air paintings are created outdoors and on-site. The most successful of these are employed as a foundation for larger studio pictures.