Blues, greens, and interlocking silver and blue circles shows Korvitz's strong sense of composition. 

A different pespective, an interesting opening into the work. Photo by Garry McMichale

Koritz paints in acrylics and is known as a colorist. He paints large and smaller canvases, but prefers to paint large. Photo by Garry McMichale

A portrait of Mark Koritz with one of his abstract paintings. Photo by Garry McMichale

If it weren’t for fate, the holidays and a granddaughter in art school, master woodworker and businessman Mark Koritz might never have taken up painting. “When my granddaughter came home from college eight years ago, I took her to an art supply store. What do you gift a kid in art school? Art supplies,” he says.

Unbeknownst to him at the time, his granddaughter gifted him as well. “She pointed out the art store had a Christmas sale, 40 skinny-as-your-finger tubes of paint for 39 bucks. She chose some brushes, a few pads, some canvasses and a couple of palette knives. She said ‘You take this home and play with this stuff.’”

And he did just that. He put the art supplies in his basement woodworking shop. “Late in February when I was down there I opened up everything, put them on my workbench. I started to play, and I realized I liked painting.”

Portrait of the artist as an older gentleman • Koritz didn’t retire from his career in the paint industry, and later in flooring, until he was in his 70s, but he didn’t get into a rocking chair.

Instead, in 2009, he turned to his lifelong hobby, woodworking. He descended into his expansive basement wood shop, which had been featured in Woodcraft Magazine, to create unique art pieces of exotic woods that he sold at juried shows across the Midwest.

In 2012, he began to buy, rehab, and rent or sell properties, a business he still operates today. Then he added more to his full plate.

His wife, Sue, emailed the Post-Dispatch about her creative husband’s art journey, his business careers, his philanthropy and his move into painting abstracts. “In 2014, at the age of 75, full of enthusiasm and curiosity, and with a ‘you’ll never know if you don’t try’ attitude, Mark turned to painting,” she wrote.

Encouragements • Koritz always paints abstracts, in acrylics, with striking color and designs. His style has evolved over time to the linear and lively canvases he paints today. He prefers to work on large canvasses. “It’s just as much work to paint a small one,” he says, “and I have less space to do it in,” he says.

The sale that clued him in that painting may be in his future was a smaller one, and not even a painting. While he was still working the art fair circuit with his woodworking, he introduced wooden wall art with painted backgrounds.

“Other artists came up to me and said ‘Mark, you’ve got a great eye for color. You should be a painter. These are good.’

“The first day, a gentleman came along and picked up a one of my wall, pieces, wrote me a check for $750, and walked away. I went after him to ask what attracted him to the piece and he didn’t answer. When I saw him the next day, I asked again. He said what attracted him was the painted background. One guy came over and said, ‘Gary, that guy that bought your piece? He’s the head of the art department at Webster University.’”

Abstractions • When Koritz goes into his studio to paint, he puts on a pot of coffee, he may turn on the television, or put CDs on to play. “Normally, I’m up around 6 in the morning. I figure out what I’m going to do, work on a painting or start a painting, and I get to work.

“When I put down that first stroke, I am creating that painting. Everything comes from my mind. I’m not copying a landscape. I need to know what colors to put where, there’s nothing to reference,” he says.

People connect with Koritz’s paintings. Today, they hang in offices and homes in St. Louis and around the country. He also shows his work at Componere Gallery of Art in University City.

Korvitz paints for the love of painting, although he enjoys selling his work. He donates proceeds from his online web sales to the St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer. Korvitz has served on its Board of Directors for over 40 years.

Future plans • Korvitz’s future plans include more painting, less woodworking and more time for adventures with Sue, his wife of 60 years.

“I enjoy painting. I still do woodworking but not as much. Painting is quiet, and peaceful. I’m not using a lot of power equipment. I still build things,” he says. “One of my daughters needed a stand-up desk. My granddaughter needed a triangle table for the corner of her bedroom. I made a stool for my daughter recently. Woodworking is fun and I enjoy it a whole lot, but painting? Painting is my passion.”

Family • Mark and his wife, Sue Koritz, have been married for 60 years. They have two grown daughters, Beth Koritz, and Debbie Lefton, and one adult son, Robert Koritz, as well as six grandchildren.

What he does • Koritz is an abstract painter and woodworker who came to art later in life. Sales of paintings through his website benefit a local charity, the St. Louis Men’s Group Against Cancer.

Where to buy • Mark Koritz’s paintings are available on his website, markkoritzart.com, and at Componere Gallery.

How much • Koritz’s paintings range from $200 to $2,800

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Blues, greens, and interlocking silver and blue circles shows Korvitz's strong sense of composition. 

A different pespective, an interesting opening into the work. Photo by Garry McMichale

Koritz paints in acrylics and is known as a colorist. He paints large and smaller canvases, but prefers to paint large. Photo by Garry McMichale

A portrait of Mark Koritz with one of his abstract paintings. Photo by Garry McMichale

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