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.
By working from direct observation, I keep my paintings 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 and that philosophy governs what I do. It also constrains what I
choose to paint.
Still-life pictures have been my primary focus for many years. These paintings show a variety of found objects singly or together on a still-life table. They reflect the random combinations of form and color in the world, an interplay I find endlessly fascinating. Occasionally, these permutations result in a Surrealist frisson but most often they represent pure delight in form and color.
The landscape images are a more recent pursuit. They act as a sunlit break from the exacting visual processes the studio bound 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.